Puffin Island 2018.Part 1.

I recently went across to Puffin Island, Anglesey with seabird researchers from Bangor & Liverpool University and the SCAN ringing team. Meeting at Penmon point we were ferried across on a beautiful warm may morning. My job on this first visit was to photograph as manny Razorbill rings as possible for the re-trapping adults for survival project (RAS). Often the ring numbers are difficult to read and we've found its best to photograph them and read them on the screen rather than relying on checking with binoculars and writing down.

With a bit of patience, by sitting quietly on the cliffs, the Razorbills get used to your presence and you can get good close up photos with a telephoto lens. We generally try to get around 50 re-sightings this way.

Its not all about the Razorbills though and I usually sneak a few other photos in - especially of  the Puffins.

The breeding season is a couple of weeks behind previous years and most of the species were on eggs. Unfortunately it looks as if Kittiwakes are really declining here and we didn't find any that had started nest building yet. Fulmars appear to be doing well though with several pairs seen.

Shags are way behind with their breeding season and most nests had eggs or very small young.

The gull colonies seem to be doing well with a few small Herring Gull chicks around and lots of nests with 'chipping' eggs. Many other birds were still incubating.

Razorbills and Guillemots were all incubating and it was fascinating to see the variety in colour between the predominantly blue Guillemot eggs and the white Razorbill eggs.

Historically it was thought the eggs of these species were pear shaped so that they would spin on their axis rather than rolling off the ledges. New research suggests that this isn't the case and that the real reason maybe to keep as little of the egg in contact with the substrate to stop the developing embryo being starved of air. The nesting ledges can get horribly messy with guano and the shape of the eggs ensures there is minimal contact.

A great day and a tiring one  - my Fitbit told me I'd climbed the equivalent of a 147 flights of stairs!