All puffin species have predominantly black or black and white plumage, it’s a stocky little bird with a large beak. They shed the colourful outer parts of their bills after the breeding season, leaving a smaller and duller beak. Their short wings are more adapt for swimming almost using a flying technique under the water. In the air however they beat their wings rapidly, up to 400 times per minute, often flying low over the ocean’s surface.

Puffin in flight with a beak full of small fish and eels for it’s sibling.

Puffins make their nest in burrows in the soft ground.

Puffins, like many sea birds mate for life, and live for about 20 year in the wild. All of the above Puffins are Atlantic Puffins. Images taken from both the Farne Islands and the Isle of May.

All images shot using a Nikon D700, shot in RAW and processed in Lightroom. Please feel free to share.

GHL.