2015
I have been visiting Faraid Point many times from the early 1970's. Last year I took photos in June of Puffins on the only part of the coast here that I can find these wonderful birds nowadays. The density of birds was such that I never saw more than a few birds together, with probably about a dozen birds visiting burrows in my short stay....
....Offshore there was a raft of 10 birds in the sea waiting to fly in, trying to avoid marauding Greater Black Backed Gulls and Great Skuas.
My viewpoint. The puffins are right on the green headland in the foreground, whilst some braver souls are a lot closer, having walked the knife edge ridge to gain their positon.
1974
Just over 40 years earlier, I photographed these Puffins with a small 125mm telephoto on the grassy slopes that can be seen in the background of the photo above. They were all over these slopes. What a loss in that time to the wildlife in an area that has not changed that much in the intervening years.
I wonder if it is too late for them to survive with global warming and over fishing affecting the supply of sand eels. I hope not.
Post Script: September 2016 - Closer Puffin photos were obtained in June 2016, and posted here on 19th September 2016.
Went up yesterday 26-5-16 to give my big Sigma 150-500mm a good work-out and saw ZERO puffins. A sad-looking Razorbill, a single Little Auk and the regular Gulls and Cormorants... all in reduced numbers. Nothing on the water. The Visitors Centre staff said "Stoats"
ReplyDeleteSad news indeed. I am back in June and hope that perhaps things will have improved, but I suspect not from what you are saying. Stoats are part of the ecosystem, and normally I would have been pleased to see them surviving. What can you do? There were Fulmars on the same rocky point where I took the photos last year. Did you see any? Regards Mick
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