Common Guillemot take-off
Seeing the power of a Common Guillemot as it takes off is awe-inspiring. They have surprisingly short, narrow wings for a bird with such a chunky body. It looks as if there’s a lot of rippling muscle under those impressive waterproof feathers.
If only I had such rippling muscles under my waterproof.
More Common Guillemots
Common Guillemots on the turn This is a Common Guillemot in its non-breeding plumage. Some of them, however, are getting frisky. This one is in… read more
Ledge nesting How do you land on a narrow ledge, high above the sea, in a stiff wind, which is already full… read more
Guillemot There's a Common Guillemot on the waves. It's having a little spruce up. Nesting in a colony is a great… read more
A minute and counting Common Guillemots are free-diving pursuit divers. Their diet is fish, and the fish which are alive in today's ocean are… read more
Bridled Common Guillemots There are Common Guillemots, Uria aalge, flying in front of the cliffs at Noup Head on Westray. It's a breezy day… read more
A wild cruise I love being on ferries and small boats. It's not something I do very often, so when my son Gabriel… read more
Hello my friend, I didn’t recognise you dressed like that There's a Common Guillemot in Brixham, just off the breakwater. It takes a while to get a shot of one.… read more
Flying Aaks There's a low flying Guillemot coming past the bottom of the cliffs. It's a great aerodynamic shape, although perhaps I… read more
Arctic Skua hunting sequence Here's a Guillemot flying past me on the west Westray coast. It's a grey day, but the rain has cleared… read more