It started raining. Creeping from one rock to another I was finally done with photographing the puffins willing to pose.
I looked around and saw that my peeps took off and started to disappear one by one in the sea of ferns. So I hurried after them.
Our next destination was Gannet Headland, a nesting ground for the Northern gannets. You cannot see the place before you climb up to the highest point of the island through the high ferns and then walk down to the rugged cliffs. Then you just stop there, speechless.
The gannet is Europe’s largest sea bird with a wingspan up to 2 metres. The adults are white and the young birds are very dark brown. It takes 5 years for them to reach maturity and start breeding. They say there are two thousand couples nesting there on the island. The gannets make their nests from seaweeds, feathers and human made materials found in the water.
Gannet with a bunch of seaweed to furnish the nest.
Gannets hunt fish by plunge-diving from a remarkable height into the sea and then using their wings and feet to swim deeper. After returning from the sea they have this gentle ritual of affection with the other partner, preening and touching the bills.
The young chick reaches deep into its parent’s throat for its meal of partially digested fish.
The parent birds take turns warming the eggs and protecting the chicks.
The gannets are very vocal:)
As you can see, there are some couples with very young chicks, naked and helpless, and some with the older ones, covered with soft white down.
Gannets have very interesting features. For example, they have no external nostrils: they are located inside the mouth. Their eyes are positioned slightly up to the front which gives them a better view.
There is my reflection in the gannet’s eye:)
Clumsy on take-offs and landings the gannets are powerful fliers with an impressive wing span.
Now I want to share something sad. Please read this article…
Gold-faced, silver-eyed, gracious birds… Isn’t there anything else to eat in this century?
There are also other species of birds on the island. This is a Herring gull in its flight.
This is a Fulmar.
These are the Blackback gull chicks.
This angry bird is a Shag. Shags breed colonially between the rocks and in sea caves.
This is the island owners’ house. We were heading to the shelter to hide from the rain and wait for our boat.
The ferrying boat could not come closer, so we had to be carried over there by an inflatable boat.
Little and Great Saltee islands on the horizon. It was one of the most memorable trips in my life.
I hope you enjoyed this trip with me. You can click on the pictures to make them bigger. They are all resized for the web with resolution 72, so you won’t have problems opening them. Same for the previous post about the Puffins.
Photography tip of the day: When you are going to take pictures of sea birds, not having a telephoto shouldn’t stop you – the birds let you come close enough. These pictures were taken with a 70-200, but you can bring any lens you have. The settings matter, as I wrote in the previous post, and your vision matters. I wanted to get dreamy, a little bit grainy pictures with blurred background. Also watch your white colors. It is important to see the details on the white feathers, otherwise they look like burnt-out spots.
Have a great week!
Making memories 
Stunning photos!
Thank you for your kind comment!
Great stuff, love it.
Took me back a few years to when I visited the Isle of May, a small island in the mouth of the Firth of Forth, which is a Puffin sanctuary.
Nature in the raw.
Thank you for stopping by! I wish there were more sanctuaries in the world.
Gannets! Wow – never heard of them. Beautiful!
Thank you! 🙂
I really was spellbound by how close you got to these unique birds. I loved the gannets, the photo of the gannet with a reflection in his eye, of you taking its picture. Wow!
The baby gulls were so sweet, along with the black back nestlings. Being named a ‘bird’ I have paid attention to the flying creatures and love birds.
Thank you for your comment, Robin. I have more photographs of gannets taken last week. Will post them Saturday.
More great shots
Thank you very much, Derrick!
Thanks for sharing. Amazing…
Thank you! That trip was truly amazing.
A paradise made of cotton, I remember quite well these Irish landscapes when you published before, thanks for the memories, Ireland is one of the places I’d love to travel ^_^
Thank you! You know, this island was populated some hundred years ago – there was even a church. Times are changing, as are the landscapes. 🙂
Pure wonder! Glorious~
Thank you Cindy! Next week I will post my new photographs from the place 🙂 Love these birds.
Reblogged this on inesemjphotography and commented:
And this is another old post from my last year’s trip to Saltee Island. It is a beautiful place, a haven for those looking to escape the big city for a day, for the birdwatchers and photographers. Hope you enjoy this post and the trip to the Gannet kingdom.
My seven-yr-old really enjoyed the gannet, razorbills, and puffins. He is clicking “post comment”. Lovely captures! =)
Oh thank you for that! 🙂 Hope I get to take pictures of more beautiful birds next spring! 🙂
Those photos are good enough for National Geographic magazine. I need to get my bird photos organized and post a few. 🙂
Like a real bird photos? Or the illustrations to your Horror Astrology ? 😉
I never know what I’ll do. It depends on the stars. LOL 🙂
🙂
btw, did you check out the puffin post? It is the first half of our Saltee photo shoot.
I’m saving that for later as a surprise. 🙂
🙂
These are such beautiful images; I found myself looking, and looking again. 🙂
Oh thank you, I am so glad you like the birds. Aren’t they amazing? I have never seen gannets before, except in the books. They let people come so close… It is why their chicks get killed by ignorant barbarians. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
They are amazing. There is a gannet colony not far from where I live; on a tiny almost-island that’s sheer rock. It’s inaccessible to humans but close enough to the mainland to watch the birds. Ideal really. 🙂
Ideal indeed. Hope they stay safe and happy. Have a good week! 🙂
Thanks. Hope you also have a good week.
Beautiful photography! I really enjoyed this journey with you.
Thank you, and I really glad you like it!:)
Absolutely Breathtaking! They absolutely all took me right there with you! Especially the EYE… I am so glad I can follow your unbelievable photos and journeys!
Thank you for your interest in my blog as well! Heart to Heart Robyn
Thank you for this very kind comment Robyn!:) The place is actually an hour and half drive from where I live. Lucky me:)
Thank you again! Hope you have a wonderful week!
Inese
Thank is so awesome…and just love the beauty! Thank you so much for capturing this for all to see…Heart to Heart Robyn
The world is created for our joy and happiness. May all the creatures be safe.
Inese
😉
fantastic bird watching…:-)
Thank you!:)
🙂
What a beautiful post and excellent photography. So inspiring. If I did not have what I do on my plate currently how I would love to just go off into similar ventures and just follow my heart with photography. Lovely work
Thank you for your kind words. That was a one-day trip, and only one hour and half drive for me. I made two posts: this one and the previous one, about the puffins, so you can check it out too. Thank you again!
Inese
Beautiful birds.
Have you ever had the chance to photograph albatross?
Thank you! 🙂 No I didn’t have a chance and I don’t know if they are nesting around here. I have to do some research. Huge birds, I wouldn’t miss one if I see it:)
lovely!!
Thanks!:)
some really nice shots!
Thank you so much for stopping by!
wonderful job of showing an intimate view of creatures most of us will never get to see like that.
Thank you! I would stay there longer and see more but the rain was getting stronger so we had to call the captain to pick us up two hours earlier…