Scottish Puffins

[Madelinew]

Weeping with jealousy over Smartie's pics of Puffins from the Farne Islands........

I'm off to the Isle of Skye next week. Last year, I did stumble across a spot up there where I found gannets and fulmars and hoped it would be a likely area for puffins too but as I was accompanied by my two children at the time and it was very windy and I didn't fancy explaining to my husband just why I had allowed them to be blown off a cliff, I didn't investigate further.

This was on the North West of the Island beyond Glendale. Does anyone know of any puffin colonies on Skye? I have yet to see a puffin in the flesh and long to - no I am not about to take a vomit-inducing boat ride out to St Kilda while I'm there!

[rlchew]

Skye is excelllent for birds .... except for big seabird colonies.

The best places that I have seen Puffins in north Scotland has been Handa in Sutherland and Orkney and Shetland, all a long way from Skye unfortunately.

If you took a day ferry trip from Uig to Lochmaddy (North Uist) you may be lucky and see Puffins plus many other seabirds plus possibly cetaceans.

Richard

[Ann2]

If you can stomach a short boat trip (approx 2 hours) there are small numbers of puffins to be seen by taking a trip on the Lady B from Portree on Skye.

I did this trip on Thursday and got some pics of the white tailed sea eagle, puffins and seals.

Ann

[Madelinew]

I might just do that. I know where the sea eagles are but never had the time to go out and see them. And I've just missed cetacean spottings every time I've been which is very frustrating - Broadford Bay tourist office has a recording area set up and whenever I pop in to note my recordings, I always find that someone saw one at the same spot I was on only hours before.

My grandmother lives on a bay near Isle Ornsay and from her window, you can see across to the mainland to where Gavin Maxwell lived when he owned Midge the Otter, the subject of Ring of Bright Water. In fact, I have spent many hours at the otter hide in Kyle Rhea to see not one and then gone back to my grandmother for tea only to spot the little so and sos playing on her beach!

Puffins are my ultimate goal however and if I don't see any this time, I shall be demanding a trip to the Farne Islands this time next year!

[John]

Hi Madeline

I must admit that I am not aware of any Puffin colonies on Skye but I was out on a Prawn fishing boat between Skye and Rum a couple of years ago and quite a few flew past me so there is a possibility that there might be a colony somewhere.

Regarding seeing Puffins elsewhere. The Farne's would seem an ideal bet but don't forget Bempton and nearby Flamborough Head. They can be seen quite close up there as well and it isn't as far away from you as the Farne's are.

John

Originally Posted by Madelinew

I might just do that. I know where the sea eagles are but never had the time to go out and see them. And I've just missed cetacean spottings every time I've been which is very frustrating - Broadford Bay tourist office has a recording area set up and whenever I pop in to note my recordings, I always find that someone saw one at the same spot I was on only hours before.

My grandmother lives on a bay near Isle Ornsay and from her window, you can see across to the mainland to where Gavin Maxwell lived when he owned Midge the Otter, the subject of Ring of Bright Water. In fact, I have spent many hours at the otter hide in Kyle Rhea to see not one and then gone back to my grandmother for tea only to spot the little so and sos playing on her beach!

Puffins are my ultimate goal however and if I don't see any this time, I shall be demanding a trip to the Farne Islands this time next year!

[Chris Hawes]

Madeline - It's a bit further again from Skye, but if you could somehow get to the Treshnish Islands off Mull, you won't be disappointed. I was there a few weeks back and there were hundreds of puffins all over the place (particularly on Lunga). You can't go wrong - they appear everywhere you point your camera!

[smartie]

Originally Posted by Chris Hawes

Madeline - It's a bit further again from Skye, but if you could somehow get to the Treshnish Islands off Mull, you won't be disappointed. I was there a few weeks back and there were hundreds of puffins all over the place (particularly on Lunga). You can't go wrong - they appear everywhere you point your camera!

Great - I'm going there shortly, so I can take yet more puffin photos.

[Madelinew]

I SAW ONE!

OK I'm back and I had a great wildlife time as I always do, including minkie whales on which I have posted under the mammals section.

The puffin was in flight and the only reason I knew it was a puffin was that the wildlife guide, who was with me at the time, pointed it out to me. Of course, once he'd done that I recognised the flight pattern from film I've seen of these birds - aren't they fast?!

My husband did take a pic and I blew it up (a lot) to check the shape. Indeed it was a puffin.

You'll have to trust me on this one - here it is.....

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w...8/DSC_0175.jpg

[Paul mabbott]

Things not looking too good for puffins .... .... BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Decline at biggest UK puffin site

[big bill]

There was reports that alocal farmer has given over a large slice of land to the RSPB at Dunnet Head furthest point north in Scotland and they were saying that they have Puffins up there if any good