It's almost all just puffins. And pufflings.
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| A puffling ventures out, closely watched by one of it's parents. Picture taken at Sumburgh Head |
Numbers
Reporting Days: 31
Location: Shetland, mostly Sumburgh Head
Distance Walked: 246 km
Distance Driven: 734 km
Days including a walk on Quendale Beach: 31
Days including at least one visit to the auks at Sumburgh Head: 24
Puffins & Pufflings
July is peak puffin on Shetland. And peak puffling.
Last summer there was lots of puffin activity to watch (and photograph) but very few puffling sightings to enthuse about.
This year there has been quite a lot of puffin activity and lots of pufflings to watch.
I've been photographing the auks at Sumburgh for almost 20 years, but I don't remember seeing so many pufflings before. Maybe it's my memory (it's got worse). Maybe it's my patience (that's got better). Or maybe there just are more pufflings this year (in the more visible nest sites) around Sumburgh Head.
Over the last few weeks I've seen over a dozen different pufflings, and seen evidence of food being brought in to several other nest sites.
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| Puffin Countdown... Three Puffins |
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| Two Puffins |
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| One Puffin |
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| We have a Puffling |
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| Another Puffling |
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| And another Puffling |
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| And one more Puffling |
Other Auks
It's not just puffins.
I've seen a lot of razorbill activity around Sumburgh Head this year - but no direct evidence of razorbill chicks this year, which is disappointing after getting good views of youngsters last year.
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| Razorbills at Sumburgh Head |
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| Razorbills displaying around a nest site |
It was, however, very easy to see jumplings in the guillemot colonies this year. While it is encouraging that there are lots of jumplings to see (as there were last year), the more gloomy conclusion is that the colonies are less dense this year so it is easier for the passing photographer to see them (and for the passing bonxie, raven or black-backed gull to predate them).
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| Jumplings in the guillemot colonies |
Shetland Sunshine
Shetland can have rubbish weather in the 'height' of Summer, but it can also have lovely weather with lots of sunshine (and temperatures peaking at around 20C, which must have boosted its position in 'Best Places to Live' league).
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| Sunny afternoon on Quendale Beach |
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| Brei Geo on Scat Ness |
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| Loch o' Gards on Scat Ness |
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| Calm waters at the southern end of Scat Ness |
Next Month
It's time to say good-bye to the remaining auks (and to keep fingers crossed that they have a good winter at sea) and for me to say hello to places further south.
