PUFFIN HELL. (01/07/14)

It’s a beautiful day. I drove eighty miles east to Dunnet Head to look for Puffins. I sat watching Fulmars but of the puffin there wasn't a sign. I think they must have gone back to sea. Not to worry it was a good day for a drive and the road is about 50/50 two lane and single track so it was about a two and a half hour run.

      Traigh Allt Chailgeag and the off lying island is Eilean Hoan.

      Loch Eriboll the island is Ard Neakie and looks to have the remains of some lime kilns on it. I’ll see if I can find somewhere to stop on the way back and have a good look.

                      Ben Hope and Loch Maovally.

       A view from the A838. I have run out of map so can’t tell you what it’s a view of. It’s a good view all the same.

                        Dunnet Head Lighthouse. We arrived safe and sound. There was not a sign of any Puffin. One lady said she thought she’d seen one. My bird knowledge is appalling but there is no way I’d not know whether I’d seen a Puffin. It’s like seeing a giraffe, you have either seen it or you haven’t.

      This is the view from the observation place. It’s a wonderful view but not very good for seeing birds from. It’s not much of an RSPB venue. The information centre is a garden shed and it wasn’t manned or ladied so I couldn’t check what was about and what had been and gone.

     Lots of Fulmars gliding about and they weren’t sick on me. They kept me amused for about an hour. I had to lend my lens to an American chap has he couldn’t see anything through his 70mm kit lens. I thought it was the decent thing to do as he had come a lot further than I had. He was scanning the cliff and he too thought he had seen a Puffin. He was a bit put out when I explained they nest in rabbit holes and not on ledges. He then banged the lens on the wall whilst trying for panning shots. No harm done as the lens hood was on. That’s got a nasty scrape but no worries. I took the lens off his camera. I thought it safer. He was a nice chap but after ten minutes of apologising  he was starting to get on my tits.

      I had taken the 5D with me along with a macro lens and ring flash. I was hoping to find a Scottish Primrose. All I found was this but almost wet myself. I was kneeling down and just about to take it’s picture when a voice boomed out. You use flash in sunshine? I turned round and Pete was back. I said; I do sunshine. It evens the light out it’s called fill flash, I showed him that I could either amplify natural light or switch flash power to the dark side to negate it. A pound to a penny he goes home and tells everyone he met a barking mad Englishman who even names his strobes. I bet he doesn’t know why I chose to christen it Phil.

I’m stopping down at Dunnet Bay. If the light looks anything like tomorrow when I wake up I’ll have another run up there. It’s about six miles away. There are Twites about but they do look very similar to the sparrow. They do to me. The Fulmar looks very similar to the Albatross and the Guilliemot I could mistake for a Penguin.

It’s been a good day. I hope your’s has.