whale of a time?

Puffin mania sounds more like it!

...We create fun with what we have.

When David tells me we go and photograph wildlife, I nod and smile... And think, "ouch, I need to give it my best shot, 'cause he's a lot better than me in that category!" ...No pressure, my telephoto lens is fun at reasonable distances. My flair will do the rest! 

So here it is. 

Saturday afternoon at Sumburgh Head, amidst dare-devils hovering around cliffs, attempting to take off and land without losing too much grace... Yes, the eddies (or air currents) can provide our peerie parrots of the sea with amazing challenges! From the moment we reached the "penthouse" (or grassy slopes around the lighthouse), those peerie guys were flying just like fulmars... Gliding very close at eye level at high speed! Some fun to watch and some challenge for the lens!

And then drama increased with stooping bonxies, our pirates of the sea, (as I call them with affection)  and fun flyers, da maalies, or Fulmar petrels.

I feel so safe behind that dry stone wall in my bubble.

I chuckle at precarious landings although I keep in mind that loss of grace also happens to any creature... That we all remain stardust and confronted to the elements, the world reminds us all of our place. Unlike us, the rest of the animal (as well as the plant) kingdom adapt to the environment.
Hence my total admiration towards what appears so fragile at first glance. Atlantic puffins may look clumsy either on land or in the air, however, their robust bodies and resilience in the real world enable them delight us every summer. 

...And if you really crave for drama, you can still enjoy your last hours of puffin madness through that now famous webcam! A date with nature