B.Y. 2019. The Tortoise rules!

[Dave Williams]

256)Kittiwake

Black-legged Kittiwake  Rissa tridactyla by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[TonyQ]

Beautiful Tern and Kittiwake. Lovely photos 

[Dave Williams]

257) Great Black-backed Gull

The top predator on the island with no equals.Seen here being chased off by a Lesser Black-backed Gull. They will predate their cousins!

When not seen together the pink legs are the differential between the two.

Great Black-backed Gull  Larus marinus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

258) Common Guillemot

Some nice weather certainly made the sea look tempting!

Common Guillemot  Uria aalge by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and for cuteness here's a chick. They live a perilous life in contact danger of being snatched from their cliff edge perch. When they eventually fledge they literally drop off the cliff and land in the sea about 200 feet below where they are very much in danger from predation yet again.

Common Guillemot  Uria aalge by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited July 9, 2019 by Dave Williams

[Dave Williams]

259) Lesser Black-backed Gull

I'm not sure what they feed on the rest of the year but here on the I.O.M. they predate eggs,chicks and mug the Puffins for their Sand Eel catch as they return from a fishing trip.

This one is on the prowl amongst the returning Puffins.

 

Lesser Black-backed Gull  Larus fuscus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

260)Herring Gull

Like the LBB Gull they are opportunist thieves! Unlike the LBB though they over winter here in the UK whereas the latter do, to a large extent moved further south.

My home town is over run with Herring Gulls and they have become habituated to stealing food from tourists, raiding rubbish bins and generally being a nuisance! A UK seaside resort wouldn't be the same without them though.

European Herring Gull  Larus argentatus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

261)Rock Pipit

Just a few breed on the island and they make a nice change from the seabirds!

Eurasian Rock Pipit   Anthus petrosus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

262) European Shag

Trying to photograph one without leg "bling" is near on impossible as they have been carefully monitored and recorded for many years. The best you can do is to be a bit creative too try and hide the ugliest bits.

European Shag   Phalacrocorax aristotelis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The birds are rung whilst still in the nest but I'd be wary when you see the chicks. "Alien" comes to mind!

European Shag   Phalacrocorax aristotelis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

263)Common Eider

Last year I saw a male but this year the breeding pattern was back to normal and the males had all long gone leaving only the females to bring up the brood.

Common Eider  Somateria mollissima by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

264) Razorbill

Seeing a Razorbill with fish in it's bill is a bit special.

Razorbill  Alca torda by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Better still was seeing a chick being fed although to safe guard it from predation both parents surrounded it whilst it delicately helped itself to one fish at a time.

 

Razorbill  Alca torda by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited July 9, 2019 by Dave Williams

[xelas]

That is one nice collection of birds, Dave. What about puffins??

[Dave Williams]

Holding back the Puffins especially for you Alex!

[TonyQ]

Wonderful Razorbills, and the chick is very special.

[PeterHG]

Beautiful seabird collection!

[Zim Girl]

Yes, fabulous set of seabirds.

[Peter Connan]

Wow again!

[michael-ibk]

Great stuff - waiting with baited breath for the puffins! 

[Galana]

Nice collection from I O MAY. I have missed my Seabirds.

[Dave Williams]

265)Northern Fulmar

Nearly forgot this one from the Isle of May!

Northern Fulmar  Fulmarus glacialis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

266) Atlantic Puffin

Here in the UK we sometimes we think we are short changed when it comes to the number of species that are resident compared to other places around the globe but we are also guilty of failing to realise we have fabulous number of seabirds compared to many places and none is possibly more desirable than the Puffin. I have spent 5 summer weeks and a couple of spring ones in the company of 45,000 pairs and you'd think they loose their appeal. Swearing not to take another shot of a Puffin with Sand Eels in it's bill before I arrived is soon forgotten. They are irresistible!

Atlantic Puffin  Fratercula arctica by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Trying to get a decent close up...irresistible!

Atlantic Puffin  Fratercula arctica by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Trying to find something different isn't easy but with time it happens.

Atlantic Puffin  Fratercula arctica by Dave Williams, on Flickr

This year I decided to concentrate on water though.

Atlantic Puffin  Fratercula arctica by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Far less shots seem to be taken  in their most natural surrounds.

Atlantic Puffin  Fratercula arctica by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

They can fly for many many miles in search of food 

Atlantic Puffin  Fratercula arctica by Dave Williams, on Flickr

but landing isn't a skill they seem to possess.

 

 

Atlantic Puffin  Fratercula arctica by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

Ah well, an over indulgent show of my Puffin shots. Forgive me for so many.

Atlantic Puffin  Fratercula arctica by Dave Williams, on Flickr

It is a rather special little bird though!

Edited July 11, 2019 by Dave Williams

[lmSA84]

Love that second shot of the Puffin with all the sand eels. Great stuff as always.

 

We’re going to the Shetlands in late summer this year but unfortunately I suspect that we’ll miss the Puffins, which is a pity cause I haven’t seen them in years 

[pedro maia]

I can see why it must be imposible to resist the impulse to keep taking pictures of the puffins, but to get pictures like yours is a different thing.

[TonyQ]

Can’t have too many Puffins! Wonderful shots 

[kilopascal]

Oh my god.  Phenomenal puffin pictures.  As is the Artic Tern, one of my favorite birds.. 

[Galana]

2 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Forgive me for so many.

Nothing to forgive in my book. Lovely creatures and well captured.