Ornithological observations at Eckener Point, Antarctic Peninsula

Eckener Point (64° 26′S; 61° 36′W) lies on the northeast side of the entrance to Charlotte Bay and southeast of Murray Island, on the west coast of Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula (Fig. 1). Data from a 1987 census (Woehler 1993) show 40 breeding pairs of chinstrap penguins Pygoscelis antarctica at...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polar Record
Main Authors: Woehler, Eric J, Blight, Louise, Bullock, Ian
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s003224740999012x
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S003224740999012X
Description
Summary:Eckener Point (64° 26′S; 61° 36′W) lies on the northeast side of the entrance to Charlotte Bay and southeast of Murray Island, on the west coast of Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula (Fig. 1). Data from a 1987 census (Woehler 1993) show 40 breeding pairs of chinstrap penguins Pygoscelis antarctica at the site. An unpublished report of 180 nests of blue-eyed cormorant Phalacrocorax atriceps/bransfieldensis (S Poncet, personal communication, 2004) in 1983 is the only other ornithological record for the site. Here we report on the results of a brief survey conducted to document the breeding seabirds for this locality. Suitable ice-free sites on the Antarctic Peninsula are limited, and Eckener Point, though small, provides nesting habitat for a high number of avian species. Plant and lichen diversity also appears unusually high.