Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica)

This disarming little bird is everyone’s favourite.  I had seen Atlantic puffins on the Farne Islands, off the coast of Northumberland, and in the north of Scotland, but the first time I had the opportunity to photograph them close-up was on a trip to Skomer Island in June. 

Skomer Island is a ten-minute boat ride from Martins Haven, on the west coast of South Wales.  It is a National Nature Reserve owned by Natural Resources Wales, and managed by the Wildlife Trust of West Wales.  Small boats transport up to 250 visitors each day, six days a week, to spend about five hours on the island.  About 15 kilometres of walking track  (6 or 7 km to walk around the island) keep visitors generally well spread out.

Puffins are found on the island from mid March to early August during the breeding season.  They build nests in burrows in grassy banks above the sea cliffs in April and May.  Chicks hatch from the eggs in June and fledge in July, so these two months are the most interesting for visitors.  Adult birds are making the finishing touches to their nests and catching fish to feed their nestlings.  Puffins returning with a beakful of small fish (known as sand eels) are often harried by gulls, which are after an easy meal.

With a beakful of nest material

With a beakful of sand eels

The Skomer Island puffins are very tame, as they are used to visitors walking along a trail that passes through the centre of one of their main breeding colonies.  They scuttle across the path on their way from the cliff top to their burrows carrying a beakful of sand eels or nest material, dodging between the legs of visitors and photographers’ tripods.

Showing long tongue

Having such a deep bill with sharp edges makes it easy for puffins to catch and hold a number of small fish at once.  As each fish is caught, it is held between the tongue and upper mandible, leaving the lower mandible free to catch more fish.  In this way a bird can hold a dozen or more at a time.  Their strong beaks are also used to excavate nesting burrows, which may be several metres long.

When they leave the nesting colony in early August, Atlantic puffins spend the winter in the Atlantic Ocean, not returning again until March.

Hoary Marmot

The hoary marmot (Marmota caligata)

I have seen hoary marmots in several locations throughout the north-western states of the US.  These were photographed in Mt Rainier National Park.  Marmots are well known for occupying conspicuous ‘look-out’ rocks, with a burrow in talus or in the ground beneath their rock, allowing a rapid retreat if necessary.  This habit makes them stand out against the background so they are relatively easy to photograph.

Hoary marmots are alpine specialists, living above the tree line among rock and snow.  They are attractively marked, looking as though the frost has caught the outer tips of their fur, as the hairs are tipped with white.  The fur on their tails is orangey coloured, as you can see as this individual scurries into his burrow.

Hoary marmots hibernate between September and May, so they have a relatively short period of activity.  They usually excavate their burrows under large rocks to prevent them being dug into by hungry grizzly bears, and are more communal than other marmots living in quite large family groups.