Guillemots

Posted on October 7, 2015 by John Mallaney

Here are a few shots of guillemots taken at Staple Island, Inner Farne.

Guillemot with Chicks

Guillemot

Guillemots

Guillemot

© [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com], [2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

There Once was a Poor Little Puffin…..

Posted on September 28, 2015 by John Mallaney

This poor puffin with a beakful of fish for its pufflings was too slow in getting back to its burrow before this greedy gull stole its bounty – a common hazard that a puffin undergoes each time it returns to feed its young.

Gull and Puffin

Puffin Portraits

Posted on September 28, 2015 by John Mallaney

Here are another few shots of many a person’s favourite bird – the puffin, not only colourful in nature but in character too.

Puffin

Guillemots in Flight

Posted on September 9, 2015 by John Mallaney

Here are a few shots of Guillemots in flight taken in the Staple Islands, Inner Farne.

Guillemot in Flight

Love is………………

Posted on August 19, 2015 by John Mallaney

Guillemot style of course. Taken at the Staple Islands, Jun 15.

Love is…Guillemot style

Razorbill

Posted on August 19, 2015 by John Mallaney

Further shots of my favourite alien like creature – the razorbill. Taken at the Staple Islands, Jun 15.

Razorbill

Staple Island Guillemots

Posted on August 13, 2015 by John Mallaney

The one thing that hits you when you step onto the Staple Islands, apart from the stench and noise and other seabirds, is the vast number of guillemots all closely huddled together on the surrounding cliffs. Perhaps this is a tactic employed to deter predators as you have to look very closely to spot their young. As an adult arrives back from sea with its catch it is initially quite chaotic as they try to find their spot (a needle in a haystack comes to mind). Regularly patrolled by hungry gulls who are after an easy meal, the loud and unique sounding roar of the vast colony as the Gull gets close is magical.

Guillemots

A Puffin Beakful

Posted on August 10, 2015 by John Mallaney

Here are a few shots of puffins with beakfuls of goodies for their hungry pufflings taken on Staple Island, Inner Farne. These puffins were the lucky ones as most returning with beakfuls of sand eels bore the brunt of the much larger and sand eel-thieving gulls. ‘Tis a hard life indeed.