Hi All,
We are planning a trip to the UK this summer and would like to see puffins. Are there places in England, Wales, or Scotland that are reliable for puffins? I understand that they lose their colour in winter – are they still coloured in August?
Thanks.
Carl Weber
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8 responses to “RFI Atlantic Puffins”
The island in the Bristol Channel is Lundy Island. From memory you have to get a ferry from somewhere in North Devon and it’s basically a day trip. And yes, August is way too late…..
Sent from my iPhone
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Dear Carl
There is an island off the north coast of Somerset in the Bristol channel that used to have puffins breeding on it. Otherwise you have to head north to the Scottish west coast and Shetland islands, or Northern Ireland. They vanish out to sea immediately the chicks fledge so to be sure of seeing any you need to be there in June or July latest. I was in Shetlands last September and not a puffin to be seen anywhere, and I have yet to see even one! Of course with global warming issues their breeding season may be slightly different.
And I’m an ex-pom who was married to a non-birder who wasn’t interested in looking for them in the Bristol Channel when we holidayed there years ago. Says it all…………..
All the best with your search
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Hi Carl, I used to guide wildlife and birding trips in Scotland so I have a lot of Puffin spots up my sleeve, but it also means I’m Caledonia-centric… I’ve been reviewing my birding notes recently, its all front of mind as I’m planning to run a Scotland birding trip in May 2014. Bass Rock near Edinburgh is much more accessible than most of the ‘classic’ Puffin locations in the UK. Boats sail there from North Berwick (a 30 minute train ride from the city). Bass Rock is one of the biggest Gannetrys on Earth. Puffin nest in small numbers there, and the boat trip goes via smaller nearby Islands which host 1000s of breeding Puffin. Its a fantastic day trip and easily done from Edinburgh- you can be back in the city for dinner after a big day of seabirding! Scottish sites on the west coast such as the Treshnish Isles are more of a trek but well worth the effort. Skua (aka Jaegers), Divers, various Shearwaters and cetaceans are usually seen on the way out from the boat, and it gives you an excuse to pop to Iona for Corncrake and Tree Sparrow, Mull for the two Eagle sp. as well as a spread of other great Island fauna like Otter and the huge Vole subspecies on the island. For a bird checklist and site info try this site: http://www.mullbirds.com/ For Mull bird and wildlife guide and boat trip info see http://www.wildisles.co.uk/operators.htm
Timing is important, and by August the english birds have mostly moved out to sea, although if the sand eel resource is doing ok they tend to hang around offshore in groups of 2-6 and can be often seen from boat trips or doing ‘flybys’ by sea watching from headlands. As its further north the Scottish birds are a bit slower to leave so you may have better luck up there but you’ll mainly just get the stragglers. Most Puffin are still in their breeding plumage/bills by August but are starting to look scruffy and their bills colours are fading fast. Late April/May is the optimum time to visit the UK for most birding. August is generally quiet- literally! Breeding is mostly done, few birds are holding territories, many have started to leave for better climes and the winter goodies haven’t arrived yet so the country has a ‘flat’ feel. August is also statistically the wettest month of the year in Scotland, and the time of peak-midge!
Hope you find this useful. I’d love to hear how you get on.
Cheers Mark Carter http://www.desertlife.com.au
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Carl there are a lot or reliable sites. Where are you going and when? Most birds have left the colonies by August though……….
Rob Morris
Brisbane, Australia
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I have photographed Puffins on Orkney (off north coast of Scotland) in mid-July 2010. Easy to get good shots at places like Marwick Head and along the coast in that area.
Damian
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Hi,
most Puffins will have left Skomer (Pembrokeshire in SW Wales) or the Farne Islands (NW England) by late July / early August. (but def worth the trip if you can get there earlier)
Cheers, Ian
Hi Carl,
The other thing to check is, are the Puffins still there? July or even late June tends to be the end of the Puffin season on the Isle of May off the east coast of Scotland. I don’t know if places further south are earlier or later, but it is worth checking.
Sonja
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Get a boat out to Skomer or the Farne Islands. There are several choices at reasonable cost and you will see lots of other stuff at the same time.
Harry Battam Mobile +61 429 887 800
________________________________________ Sent: 12 March 2013 11:44
Hi All,
We are planning a trip to the UK this summer and would like to see puffins. Are there places in England, Wales, or Scotland that are reliable for puffins? I understand that they lose their colour in winter – are they still coloured in August?
Thanks.
Carl Weber
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To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
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