Puffin bedding

Living in a hot burrow underground in summer with a youngster must get a bit smelly. Even at this late stage the Westray Puffins are collecting fresh bedding to keep their burrows fresh and their youngster healthy. Only a few more days and they’ll be gone for another year for a life on the ocean wave.

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

I’ll miss the sparkle in their eyes.

2 Responses to "Puffin bedding"

Heather Owens says:

6 August, 2021 at 9:14 am

Fascinated to see how tolerant Puffins and Fulmars seemed to be of each others nesting sites on a visit to Castle o’ Burrian this July. Watched one Puffin in particular squeezing behind a Fulmar sitting on its nest to reach a Puffling peeking out from its burrow! Another highlight was to hear what I was sure were Corncrake calls at Grobust. Are you able to confirm their presence there? Fear of disappointment outweighed by a need to know!!

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1. David @ the HALL of EINAR says:
  
  7 August, 2021 at 11:33 am
  
  Yes, they do manage to co-exist peaceably most of the time. It’s particularly important they do given how precarious their nests can be. A view of a Puffling is a great thing to have – they’re notoriously difficult to see.
  I’ve heard several reports of calling Corncrakes on Westray this summer so I wouldn’t be surprised if you heard one. They are so harsh, so repetitive and so distinctive that if you think you heard one then you most likely did. They’re very difficult to confuse with anything else. Lovely!
  
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Puffin bedding

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