“All people young and old, are welcome to come, see and enjoy the islands, and leave them as they found them for the unborn generations to come see and enjoy.” – Michael the First
Even after I shared two posts on my Saltee experiences I still have a lot to say. I love this place.
When we arrived to Kilmore Quay to catch our motor boat, the sea looked rough. In the days of sail, the area around the Islands was known as “the graveyard of a thousand ships”. I cannot tell that I have a brilliant memory, but this sort of information somehow always gets stuck in my head.
We boarded our boats – twelve in each – and off we went. Not wanting to get soaked in salty wate, I went inside the boat, and it was a grave mistake. The waves were rolling over the boat; a few times the wave hit the bottom of the boat so hard that I though it would break up in pieces. Half way to the island, fighting sea sickness I had to get out, and there I stood another 15 minutes all soaked but unable even to move to make myself comfortable. I barely remember the short trip on the inflatable boat; I was focused on staying conscious. It took me some six hours to completely recover – right before our trip back.
We walked up the steps, passed by the owners’ house and headed to the Puffin place. The island was wrapped in fog.
The cliffs surrounding the first bay near the cave known as the Wherry Hole are the nesting place for Atlantic Puffins.
I am very glad to tell you that there were remarkably more puffins this year than the year before. Knowing that the birds return to their old burrows, I went to check out my buddy who made such a great model for me last year, and there he was – with some more neighbours, possibly his own grown up chicks from the previous years.
Puffins start breeding when they are five years old. They use their pre-breeding years to learn about feeding places, choosing a mate and nest sites.
I went around for some more shots. The fun will start in the afternoon when the puffins go fishing and return with the bunches of the Sand eels in their beaks.
During winter, the beaks and feet of puffins fade in color, and every spring they turn bright orange again in preparation for the breeding season. The beak increases in size as the bird matures.
Here you can listen to a puffin – you will love it 🙂 Puffins usually make noises when sitting in their burrows, and the acoustics are very impressive. I will post the link separately to give a credit to ProjectPuffin : http://projectpuffin.audubon.org/sites/default/files/audio/atpu.wav
In this photograph you can see two cameras set up by the Ornithologists to watch the puffins.
We came a couple of weeks too early: most of the puffins young haven’t hatched yet, but still we got lucky to see some feeding birds that afternoon.
The puffin’s beak can hold up to 60 fish. The raspy tongue holds fish against spines on the palate allowing the puffin to open his beak to catch more fish.
We were lucky with the weather also. It was a dry day, a little bit overcast. It is difficult to take photographs of puffins in the sun because of their black and white plumage.
A few more puffins. The couples stay together all their life. Males are usually slightly larger than females, otherwise there is no difference.
This family is still working on their nest. Puffins lay one egg per year.
Puffins are very clumsy on the ground and in the flight. They are rather falling than landing, with a thud. In this photograph you can see some spots around the puffin. You might think it is some dirt on my lens, but it is the sand in the air. When a puffin is taking off he beats his wings and lifts up all the dust and sand.
A puffin can fly 48 to 55 mph (77 to 88 km/hr) though. The wings can move so fast that they become a blur.
Great Saltee Island is some 2-3 km long. I am leaving the Puffins’ place and start hiking to the Southern part of the island along the well-trodden path.
The islands were used as a base for pirates and smugglers for centuries. The gain of these folks could very well be hidden in the many caves, like the one in the image above, but there are treasures bigger than money, and they are not hidden anywhere.
More from the Saltees in the end of the week. Hope you loved the puffins.
Have a peaceful week!
Making memories 
I really enjoyed this post, Inese. You really captured their personalities.
Thank you so much Lisa! Glad you enjoyed the photographs!
PUFFINS! I fell in love with them ever since I started reading those Puffin books as a child… you know the ones? With the little puffin logos on the spines? 🙂
Oh yes, Penguin books for children, a yellow logo with a puffin on it! So glad you love these cuties. Did you listen to the link with a puffin voice? Oh you have to 🙂 Thank you for reading, and come back Saturday: i will post some more pictures.
Amazing photography!
Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂
Loved the puffins!
Thank you! The sweetest faces ever.
I certainly don’t envy your boat trip, but am very appreciative of the wonderful images you’ve shared. Thanks for allowing me to vicariously enjoy the puffins!
Thank you for your kind words! My dignity was shaken, but it could be worse.
Did you listen to the link? The puffin voice? I love the way they sound. Glad you enjoyed the images. I will post part 2 Saturday. Too many different birds, and I want to share them all 🙂
Yes, I guess dignity is a very small price to pay for such a wonderful experience.
I couldn’t get the link to play on my computer 😦 My IT department (aka The Big T) will be home from the US this weekend and I have a list of computer problems to “share” with him.
You mean the bird sound link? May be try this one. I really want you to hear 🙂 http://sounds.bl.uk/environment/british-wildlife-recordings/022m-w1cdr0001416-0300v0
This record is not as funny as the one I posted, because in my record the puffin is sitting in the burrow, and in this record in the open.
You had recovered from the trip well enough to take a marvellous set of photos. The puffin sounds like a creaking door
Thank you so much! I have heard this sound during this trip, but they also make some other sounds too. The whole Island is just a big crazy noise 🙂
I’m very lucky to have a Puffin Island not too far away ( just off the coast of Anglesey in North Wales). I think the puffins have a beauty unrivaled by many sea birds but what sad eyes they seem to have.
xxx Massive Hugs Inese xxx
Thank you very much David! So you can go there and see them whenever you fancy? Sounds like a paradise to me 🙂 Puffins live a long life, and probably see some sad things on the way. They are beautiful, but their looks don’t seem to be important to them. Wise little critters.
Have a great day, David. Hugs!!!
so cute – the feet and color 🙂
Thank you! Cute they are 🙂
I like so much the puffins’ eyes in your photographs, they look so contemplative…
Thank you so much! Puffins live about 20 years, so they sure have a lot to contemplate. They might even remember me from my previous trip 🙂
Incredibly beautiful! The photos are stunning! You should get an award for these.
Thank you so much! Your comment is an award 🙂
🙂
Totally Awesome! Love the puffins photographs! WHEW!
Thank you! I wish I could get a glance inside their burrow and see their puffy fluffy baby.
Ohmygoodness! These photos are incredible:))
Thank you! Love the bird, what a cute face!
It is! And you’re an amazing photographer. :))
Oh thank you, it is only that I love all the creatures of Nature.
Yes, they are so beautiful. So glad you do :))
Thank you again!
Once again, beauiful pictures.
Thank you so much! Some place!
You have captured these beautiful birds and their surrounding. They make me want to be there. I am curious, can you get close to the birds?
Thank you for your interest. Yes, you can get pretty close. For a Puffin I could be some 10-15f. For a Gannet – a stretched arm 🙂
They are all beautiful photos. And I love puffins 🙂
Best wishes,
Takami
Thank you Takami! I love them too, and who wouldn’t 🙂
Have a good day!
This bird is beautiful and the island too
As always Sheldon
Thank you so much! Did you listen to the link with the bird’s voice ? 🙂
Absolutely remarkable!
Thank you Cindy!
This was such an exciting series of photos, Inese. I love the nooks and craggy places, with the adorable (look so much like stuffed animals instead of real) puffins! This is a wondrous place for imagination to take wing. Smiles, Robin
Thank you Robin! I wanted to post all the pictures, but decided that it was better to split the post in two. Puffins today, the other pictures Saturday. 🙂
I went away to Mom’s from June 26 till July 5th so I am playing catch up. Love these adorable puffins who seem to have different expressions, Inese. xo
Thank you! I guess that the animals are as different as us, humans 🙂 And puffins are the best 🙂
Wonderful. What a face!
Thank you! I would kiss this face. A lot. 🙂
Wonderful set.
Thank you!