guillemot

This was the first time I managed to see these two species. Brilliant birds in their own way.

Have a great weekend...Stay safe!!!

Taken by my 8 year old today on Skomer.

I love this time of year when the Auks begin to arrive back on the cliffs. A large part of the Guillemot's breeding ledges here collapsed a couple of years ago as seen at the bottom and left of this pic where there is no guano. The displaced birds seem to have moved southwards onto ledges that...

This Common Guillemot pair were just two birds in a great sea of Auks. I love the Farne Islands as I can watch my favourite bird family in close up.

........er, help, I seem to have been given the wrong feet! Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle), Rubha Hunish, northern tip of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. "Footlooking" is a common part of pair bonding in Auks.

Another from Embo / Coul Links. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=354013

Quite surprised to see this Auk very close to the sea wall at high tide in Blackpool recently. The only other place I have seen Guillemots is off shore in Western Scotland.

Peering down over the wall at the fog horn, I found these Shags. I didn't realise there were Guillemots there too, as they mostly had their backs to me, but in a couple of images they gave me a side on view. I made sure I had a good grip of my camera, with strap around my neck;) Off on holiday...

A large number of Guillemots on the Isle of May too. But they are a wee bit more difficult to get close to.

Bird cliffs near Svalbard

They look really relaxed on their exposed perch

Its not afraid of heights

AUKward cliff full of Guillemots

A Brunnich's guillemot taking off from near the huge colony at Alkefjellet, Svalbard. Shows clearly they are a dark chocolate-brown, not black like they look at a distance.

This lucky guillemot has loads of room on cliff ledge

Enjoying the sun in the company of razorbills at Wicklow Head, Ireland today...

Saturday fun - What did you say he looks like?

Flyby from the guillemot

To me it was noticeable that the numbers of Guillemot, Razorbill and Puffin on the cliffs was greatly reduced. No doubt due to the terrible storms that we had which inflicted such unbelievable devastation.