MORE PUFFINS & A TAD COOLER

 

Atlantic Puffin, RSPB Bempton Cliffs

The recent very hot and dry weather has finally come to an end. There are many people wo worship the sun and bask in mid to high 20 centigrade and love that sort of thing. Not me, not most hillgoers. Serious heat and dry weather doesn't make a pleasant day out in the hills. Some welcome rain and much cooler weather now. It's not just us humans that suffer in heat. The ground, flora and faun don't much like it either. 

Cooler here

With so much heat it has been a good excuse and have a more comfortable experience photographing our beautiful wildlife. 

This season I've made more of an effort to get out and capture some images of the adorable, photogenic, characterful & charismatic Atlantic Puffin.

So far this season I've managed to photograph these beautiful wee sea birds on Lunga (twice) in the Inner Hebrides, Shetland and last week and I was down in deepest Yorkshire, England. Yes, they are worth travelling for! These wee birds spend much of their life far out at sea. The only time most people will get the opportunity to see them close up is between mid April and very early August when they come onshore to nest and have their young.

They're not always lovable!

Here's just a few images from the Yorkshire Puffin at Bempton cliffs last week

Preparing for take off

Good light

There's no excuse to get out with your camera and see these wee guys, wherever you live in the UK. There's a Puffin not too far away!

Next stop, Isle of May! Before they fly away in 2023.

Razorbill

Of course the sea cliffs around Britain are not just home for the Puffins. We have many other species of sea birds that come to shore to breed at this time of year. Here are just a few. The Razorbill is very distinctive, another black and white bird with the giveaway sharp beak in contrast to the thin white stripes.

There's always one show off

Probably the most obvious bird that is easily recognized and much larger is the Northern Gannet. A stunning sight on the cliffs and if you get an opportunity it is worth going on a boat trip to watch them close up diving for fish, an amazing spectacle.

The Northern Gannet

Everyone knows there is no such thing has a seagull, don't they? There are many gulls. One of my favouries is the Kittiwake. Identified by it's much softer looking face and not has noisy as the Herring Gull, that's the one that steals your fish and chips at the seaside. The Kittiwake is smaller and you'll not see that one in towns and cities.

Kittiwake with her chick

Last of this wonderful group of birds I spotted over a two day period at Bempton is the Guillemot. Sometimes mistaken for the Razorbill. It's all in the beak!

Guillemot

It is a beautiful time to watch or photograph these birds just now. Most of these species have now had their young and if you're luck you should see them with chicks.

Northern Gannet with her chick

Razorbill & Kittiwake with their young chicks

By early August most of these birds will be back at sea and cliffs will become quiet again. Even if you're not into wildlife photography it is still an amazing sight to just wander along much of our coastline and listen and look at the hundreds of birds nesting side by side on steep cliffs.

Stormy clouds brewing

With the heat usually comes thunder storms and lightning. You've probably see the images on the local news of Ben Nevis a couple of weeks ago? A direct lightning strike hit the summit viewing plinth.

We've not seen much in the way of electrical storms over here in the Cairngorms but the weather forecasts recently have indicated the possibility. 

Much nicer yesterday, Monday.

Yesterday evening was beautiful. A couple of hours in the gorgeous light amongst the mountain hares was spent.

Lovely evening light for the hares

Last week I took my first winter skills course  for the 2023/2024 winter season. I like some peoples thinking. Rich & his 3 friends have booked a 4 day winter course, making the booking on 21st June, the summer solstice. Love it. It's not long till winter :)