Ferguslie Peninsula

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Chinstrap penguins at Cape Geddes in 1962

Ferguslie Peninsula is a peninsula 2.4 km (1.5 mi) long, lying between Browns Bay and Macdougal Bay on the north coast of Laurie Island, in the South Orkney Islands of Antarctica. The peninsula was charted in 1903 by the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition under William Speirs Bruce, who named it for Ferguslie, the residence of James Coats, chief patron of the expedition.[1]

Cape Geddes forms the tip of the peninsula. It was named by Bruce for Professor Patrick Geddes, a noted Scottish biologist and sociologist.[2]

A series of peaks called the Ross Peaks rise between Ferguslie Peninsula and Fitchie Bay.[3]

Important Bird Area[edit]

A 99 ha tract of ice-free land, including Cape Geddes and the eastern side of the peninsula, has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a large breeding colony of about 12,000 pairs of chinstrap penguins. Other birds nesting at the site include over 200 pairs of southern giant petrels at Cape Geddes.[4]

Station C[edit]

Station C
Coordinates: 60°41′15″S 44°34′23″W / 60.6876°S 44.573°W / -60.6876; -44.573 (Station C)
EstablishedJanuary 1946 (1946-01)
ClosedMarch 1947 (1947-03)
Government
 • TypeAdministration
 • BodyBAS, United Kingdom
Active timesOne summer

After abandoning their plans for a base at Sandefjord Bay, the British Antarctic Survey built a research base on Cape Geddes, designated Station C. It operated from January 1946 to March 1947, but was closed in favor of Station H on Signy Island (later Signy Research Station).[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ferguslie Peninsula". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  2. ^ "Geddes, Cape". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  3. ^ "Ross Peaks". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  4. ^ "Ferguslie Peninsula, Laurie Island". BirdLife data zone: Important Bird Areas. BirdLife International. 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  5. ^ "History of Cape Geddes (Station C) - British Antarctic Survey". Retrieved 13 May 2019.

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Geological Survey.

60°43′S 44°34′W / 60.717°S 44.567°W / -60.717; -44.567