*** ATLANTIC PUFFINS OF HEIMAEY ***

Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) are members of the Auk family and live for 25~30 years.
After a winter-long separation at sea, the breeding pairs arrive in early April to re-unite at their nesting
burrows in the turf on Stórhöfði cliff-top slopes at the southern tip of Heimaey.
Single eggs are laid in the burrow mid-May, and one of the adult Puffins remains incubating the egg
 in the burrow-nest, while the other adult flies out to sea fishing.
The Puffin chicks (Pufflings) hatch at the turn of June~July. The adult birds bring back beakfuls
of sand eels garnered on their fishing trips, and can be seen standing by their burrows early evening.
The Puffins depart from early August to over-winter at sea, leaving the Pufflings to learn to fly
 by themselves to undertake their first migration.

Photographs taken in late August poor afternoon weather and light, on the cliff-tops at Stórhöfði.
<Click on Thumbnail for full-sized picture   -   then Click on full-sized picture to return to Thumbnails>
<Click on Thumbnail for full-sized picture   -   then Click on full-sized picture to return to Thumbnails>

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