RIGHT As spring finally
approaches, hundreds
of energetic chicks mill
around on the ice among
the adults. Both males
and females are now
embarking on fishing
trips, leaving their
youngsters in crèches,
which are thought to
be watched over by
selected guardians.STEFAN CHRISTMANN is a scientist and
wildlife photographer from Germany. See
his work at nature-in-focus.de and at the
NHM Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019
exhibition:nhm.ac.uk/visit/wpy.htmlBELOW Should a
storm roll in when the
parents are at sea, the
chicks instinctively
huddle, but not in
the well-versed way
of their fathers.
“Sometimes a chick
runs at the group
and leaps directly on
top, crowd-surfing its
peers,” says Stefan.
“But the young birds
soon learn the spirit
of co-operation.”RIGHT A footstep tells a thousand words:
belly-sliding tracks means it’s likely early
autumn or late spring (when the ice is
more slippery); small, tight-knit prints
belong to a bird with an egg on its feet.
“Emperor penguins are phenomenal birds,”
says Stefan. “I hope that, in the face of
climate change, they will march back to
Antarctica for many years to come.”50 BBC Wildlife