A small island off the South-West coast of Wales is home to Skomer’s Psychedelic Puffins. Check out my gallery for an introduction to this newly discovered sub-species of Britain’s favourite bird.
A boat trip and climb up 87 steep steps lead to an island walking-tour that is a feast for any photographer, and it’s only a shame I didn’t get to stay longer. Puffins are smaller than I had imagined but are full of character. Their eyes have a quizzical expression dog owners will find familiar, although unlike our canine friends Puffins have no interest in us at all. Which is a shame, as hundreds of visitors are entirely obsessed with them. If you ever visit, be prepared for total cute rage. And a much longer walk than you might have anticipated. It’s around four miles: we underestimated it badly and almost missed the boat, having spent far too long snapping away at these captivating creatures.
The island is also home to one of the World’s largest colonies of Manx Shearwater. These nocturnal birds spend the day hidden in burrows. Or at least that’s what the guides told us. To be honest they could be going home each night and chalking us up as another crew of gullible fools – needless to say, we didn’t see any sign of them.
I’m testing these images out as canvas prints and will provide notes later of any that work particularly well in that format. I’ll be exhibiting some at this year’s Art in the Gardens (3rd-4th September 2016) at Sheffield Botanic Gardens – if you’re around drop in and say hello.
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