Puffins! Hooray! [Full Metal Wheelbarrow]

The difficult part with the puffin pictures, as always is picking which ones not to post. Not because I'm so conceited about my pictures, but because the puffins are So Damn Cute.

It was a beautiful day, bright and sunny and the sea was the calmest I've ever known it on that trip. better still, after the sparse population last time we went, two years ago, this time there were oodles of puffins, every one of them ridiculously adorable. Or adorably ridiculous. Or both.

Hand over the blankie, now, or I'll cute you to death! :)

This is my best side!

Worried puffin is worried.

When shall we three meet again? Well, I can do Tuesday…..[1]

One of the hardest things to get a shot of is the puffins taking off or landing - although (or perhaps because) they're not the most graceful birds in terms of flight, they do both very fast indeed. So of course when I actually catch one taking off it's by accident and in the corner of the frame…

Just after landing I got a few of…

Got any sand eel, mister?

Dignity. I haz it.

Good grooming is very important.

Why yes, I am adorable…

It's tragic, how terrified they are of humans, isn't it? :)

Yay! The elusive puffin-in-flight picture! Not excessively brilliant, but not bad for my little compact camera.

So tall!

Peekaboo!

I r serious puffin.

Gang of puffin muggers and their hapless victim.

Fashionista puffin questions your clothing choices.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Aah, who cares?

I think I might need to do a second puffin post :)

[1]With apologies to Terry Pratchett

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Absolutely to cute for words.
Where were you taking pics?

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Never mind. You are on Mull, an island we haven't gotten to yet. Shetlands yes, Mull no.

We were indeed. but the puffins are a bit further out on the island of Lunga, one of the Treshnish group.

I can heartily recommend going to Mull - I never used to get why people would go back to the same holiday destination year after year until I went there...

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We feel the same way about the Shetlands. We went there once some 10 to 15 years ago and then kept going back. A couple of years ago we decided we were being foolish to go to the same place every time so we did the Outer Hebrides, and found that while they are very nice, we still prefer Shetland.

There are plenty of puffins up in Shetland, but I never got as close as you did. Maybe that is because I never really sat down and stayed quiet.

The people on Lunga were all wandering about and chatting around us - I think the puffis there are just so isolated that they don't perceive humans as a threat, which is lovely :)

SO CUTE!!!! I could just plotz. :)

Edited Date: 2012-05-31 08:33 pm (UTC)

I had to look that up :) I has learned a new word - thank you!

LOL ... my mom worked at a Jewish deli for over 20 yrs. I learned new words as a result. :)

*In Veruca Salt's voice* I want a Puffin.

Where are you again? (I know you said in an earlier post, but I'm lazy.)

I was soooo tempted to pop one in my rucksack and take it home with me :)

The puffins live on the isle of Lunga which is one of the Treshnish Isles (I swear I'm not making this up) off the Western coast of Scotland.

You may post absolutely every puffin picture ever *and* *I* *still* *want* *more*.

Thank you.

Does anyone know why they are called puffins?

I'm sure someone must know, but my google-fu has failed to provide me with an answer :(

The Latin name, Fratercula artica means "little arctic brother" if that helps.

Well, you know, people may say what they like about Wikipedia, but it usually has some reasonably interesting details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffin
such as that the colourful part of the beak is shed after the breeding season. That's interesting. I wonder if it causes problems during the shedding part (causing drag while swimming, stuff like that).

Anyhoo. Puffin appears to be an anglo saxon word, and refers to the dried carcase. Sort of like calling pigs porkies, I guess.

More pictures please. (Not demanding; not me; oh no.) :)

It must be really odd to have different sized beaks at different times of the year. No wonder they look so confuzzled sometimes!

More pictures Real Soon Now :)

The Latin name, Fratercula artica means "little arctic brother" if that helps.

...whereas the Manx Shearwater's scientific name is Puffinus puffinus; according to their Wikipedia entry, apparently they were called 'Manks Puffins' a long time ago, so presumably got in first, as it were, with their Latin name.

Ah, those wacky species namers :) I suppose they had to make their own fun in those days :)

Poor worried puffin!

Aren't they gorgeously cute?

They are. I wanted to take them all home with me, they're so adorable.

The photos will have to do instead though :)

Excellent pictures (as always)! Skomer )or other suitable empuffinated sanctuary) calls to me again :)

Thank you! Puffins seem universally popular. and deservedly so, I think :)

Edited Date: 2012-06-01 08:01 pm (UTC)

You can post puffin photos every day until Doomsday (the Biblical one, not the Connie Willis book) and I will not be full enough of them. I feel a bit Veruca Saltish myself at the moment.

And that worried puffin! Oh! I actually "oh"ed out loud when I saw his sad little face.

It is a tough thing to see (in photo 5) that puffins bury alive their criminal element. :)

Puffins are very more-ish :)

I actually "oh"ed out loud when I saw his sad little face.

Awww! They do have rather a talent for looking worried, poor things.

It is a tough thing to see (in photo 5) that puffins bury alive their criminal element. :)

Heh! I didn't get any pictures this time of the earth flying up from the holes as they dig - they seem surprisingly good at it, considering they have webbed feet.

And the grumpy grumbling noises that emanate from the burrows at times are just too cute for words.