Close to the landing site at Whalers Bay, Deception Island there was a small pond. This pond was used by several skuas to rest or to take a bath. This South Polar Skua (or hybrid) was busy cleaning himself for a while and didn’t mind me taking a few pictures while he (or she) did so. For birds it’s very important to keep their feathers in good condition. Not only do they allow them to fly, but they also help insulating them against the cold. Therefor birds do spent quite some time cleaning themselves.