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Puffins

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

The best camera…

They say that the best camera is the one you have with you. That was certainly true of my evening walk on …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

At night I dream of the Ocean

This Atlantic Puffin has come to rest on the low, grassy cliffs, where its burrow faces the North Sea. It flaps its …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Yet more Puffins

I took so many photographs of Puffins this summer that I’ve not published even a fraction of my favourites, so here are …

Arctic Skua and Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Puffins chased by Arctic Skuas

A Puffin’s dinner is an Arctic Skua’s dinner. Arctic Skuas are hunting Puffins for their fish on Westray and they’re having intermittent …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

More Puffins

I took more photographs of Puffins this summer than I can possibly post. So here are some of my unseen favourites. I …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Webbed feet

If you are wondering how Puffins catch fish, they actually fly under water. They float on the surface of the water, sticking …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Rock home

It’s entertaining to spend a day on the cliffs with a flask of tea and a local cheese sandwich on home-made bread …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Masters of the side-wind landing

Puffins still have to land whichever way the wind is blowing. That’s tricky, because ideally they would like to land into the …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Puffins

Here’s a small collection of some of my previously unposted Puffin shots from this summer. Little sweetheart: Don’t look now, but I …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Final Puffin evening

It’s time to head out to the Castle o’ Burrian to see the Puffins for a final time. The light is unexpectedly …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

King of the Castle o’ Burrian

It’s been great to watch the Puffins this year. This one was collecting last-minute bedding for its Puffling. The air must get …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Synchro Puffin

Synchro Puffin should be a new Animal Olympics sport. Or should that be Animalympics? Maybe not, that was a cartoon. These two …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Juvenile Puffin flypast

I’ve taken a few thousand photographs of Puffins flying past me in the past few days. Most of them have fish in …

Twinkle Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Twinkle twinkle little Puffin

Evenings are special when the sun sets slowly over the North Sea. Puffins gather in huge floats in the bay and fly …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Fish!

I’ve spent several days recently photographing Atlantic Puffins with fish. It’s for a wonderful creative project I’m involved with. More about that …

Puffin and Arctic Skua - the Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

We’re going on a Puffin hunt

Arctic Skuas are one of my favourite birds. They do, however, hunt Puffins to rob them of their fish. I’ve previously photographed …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Heads or tails?

“Heads or tails?” “Heads.” “Sorry, it’s tails.” When you see an Atlantic Puffin arriving with a beak full of sand eels the …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Flypast

I’m sat on the cliffs of Westray in pleasant light. It’s the middle of summer and it’s finally made it to 16 …

Papay Sheep - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Scenes from the sea

It’s all about perspective. Looking at familiar scenes from a different place always makes you think more deeply about them. Similarly, seeing …

Puffling - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Puffling in a flap

It’s rare to see a puffling, as young Puffins are called. They’re usually hidden in their rock or earth burrows, safe from …

Puffin chased by Arctic Skua - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Chasing Puffins

There’s a marked difference in the size of fish which Puffins bring to their burrows. I’m sure that they were bringing smaller …

Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Goodbye to Puffins

Puffins have gone from our shores for another year. It’s been a wonderful summer with them and a pleasure to see them …

Puffin sunset - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Puffin sunset

A Puffin on one of its last evenings at the Castle o’ Burrian in Westray. This is a photograph I’ll be ordering …

Puffling - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Puffling preparations

In a sheer rock cliff there is a natural cavity in which a pair of Puffins have made their nest. Today their …

Flying Puffin - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Brakes deployed

It takes every inch of wing space to stop a Puffin. And both feet.