The Puffin experience and pint-sized love

It’s still a shock to me how small Puffins are. I spend 10 months of the year telling people that they’re the size of a small dove and then see one and exclaim, “They’re tiny!” Every. Single. Time. Puffins are pint sized.

They also fly at up to 55 mph. That’s 90 kph in new money, because it sounds faster.

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

All that fish slows you down, though.

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

I’ll have to report these fishy mouthfuls to the RSPB’s citizen science project Puffarazzi:

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

Analysing the Puffling’s diet is a great way of telling the health of a population. Are they getting enough of the right sort of fish at the right time?

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

Which reminds me; when will I be getting the right sort of fish? It’s a shame I have to wait until Saturday afternoon for Jack’s Fish and Chips to be open. I’ll have to make do with insalata caprese and a toasted muffin with a bottle of Swannay Brewery beer in the meantime.

The Swannay Brewery is on mainland Orkney and their beers are brewed by Rob Hill. He’s a legend in my eyes. I’m sure he’s the reason Orkney Breweries beers were my favourites as he used to be the brewer there.

When I first arrived in Orkney, 13 years ago, I went in search of their legendary beer, Red Macgregor:

This time there was no Red Macgregor in the Skello shop, so I bought Island Hopping by the Swannay Brewery instead. Perfect. 13 years apart and beautiful beers are connected by the continuity of a single talented master brewer.

Cheers! Here’s sending you all some pint-sized Puffin love. It’s actually 500ml and not a pint, but that doesn’t sound as good, does it?

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