Puffins galore

The favourite bird of many people, these Puffins, Fratercula arctica, I captured on the Farne Islands and also on Lunga one of the Tressnish Islands.
















And if you didn't know, Puffins nest in burrows



This Puffin was hanging onto its Sandeels in a brisk breeze and reminds me of Medusa's writhing snakelocks.

Canon 1D Mk2 with 500 mm f4 and 70 - 200 mm f2.8 zoom lens

Goldeneye [Male]

Goldeneye [Male]. England. Autumn 2008

Canon 50D + 300mm F2.8 + x2 extender.

Early winter ducks, in newly moulted plumage, are in my opinion the best in the whole year.

Mergansers and Goldeneyes are some of the best of the best.

Copyright: Kevin Smith

Oystercatcher

The striking thing about the Oystercatcher is its brightly coloured bill which however, does serve a very useful purpose.

Black Tailed Godwit

Blacktail Godwit, Blacktoft RSPB, England. 2008

Canon 40D + 300 f2.8 + x2 extender.

Having descended, a group of Godwits separated and commenced feeding, one quite close to a hide.

Copyright: Kevin Smith

Klaas's Cuckoo

On my last trip to Abuko National Park in Gambia I was fortunate enough to see this Klaas's Cuckoo, Chrysococcyx klaas, at a waterhole.





Canon 1D Mk2 with a 300 f2.8 lens and 2 x extender.

Herring gull

This beautiful looking gull I found at Bempton cliffs on a bright sunny day, there's a hint of malice in those eyes.

Black Headed gulls

To many people gulls are a boring bird and they have no particular interest in them, these Black Headed gulls, Larus ridibundus in Winter plumage, were captured behind the Spa theatre at Bridlington.