Puffins on Skomer Island.

[JohnP]

[Clicker]

I love these John ... Some would  be  ideal in the captions challenge  with some of those expressions ...   Puffin Portraits  that's what they are ..... 

[Hatter]

Wow... so close!

[sjr]

WOW WOW WOW! What an amazing set the 4th shot with the little head tilt is so cute they are beautiful looking birds.
I have always wanted to see a puffin and attempt to photograph them. Its another thing on the must do list.

[JohnP]

The problem with photographing Puffins is they only come ashore to breed and are on land for a very short period from late April to July, they spend the rest of the year at sea. You therefore have to plan things, I find visiting Skomer is best done in early June. The boat to Skomer (the Dale Princess) goes from Martins Haven and makes five crossings between 10am and noon with a maximum number of passengers of 50 on each crossing. There are only 250 people allowed per day to visit Skomer and it's first come first served with no pre-booking. You need to get to Martins Haven early, if you go over on the first boat you have catch the first boat back in the afternoon, if you go over on the second boat you come back on the second returning boat and so on, you will be told the time of your return boat when landing on Skomer. If the sea is too rough trips can be cancelled but I have been lucky as that has never happened to me, I have been four times.

[Clicker]

That’s a very helpful piece of information John ...   like Simon ... another thing to add to my growing list of things to do ... I’m gonna have to live to be 100 at this rate

[sjr]

Thanks John Might be down that way next year around that time.
I did book to go to the Farne Island one year we had an awful week weather wise so booked the best and only dry day but 10 mins before boarding they canceled due to sea conditions so I have a 100% failure record, but I guess it was better than the boat sinking.
We also have Bempton Cliffs close by which have puffins visit and no boat needed so that maybe an option.

[Ryewolf]

A nice set of puffin portraits. I went to the Farne Islands in mid June 2015, there are quite a few operators that land on Inner Farne. One tip if you do visit Farne, take a hat, the Arctic Terns that breed there will dive bomb and peck your head if you get to close to their nests.

[Monkey]

Lovely