Breeding Time

Staple Island, Farne Islands, North East, England

Description

Breeding time in the Farne Islands is a busy time for the seabirds that choose to raise their young on the islands.  This image was taken on Staple Island which shows the guillemots take over most of the rock face.  Although there are normally more guillemots nesting here but by the start of July the males take their young to the edges of the cliffs to make the leap out to sea where the father can better protect their chick from the gulls that predate on them.  There are also kittiwakes, shags and razorbills that also nest onto the rock although the shags and kittiwakes sit on nests.  The puffins are there in the far corner nesting in the burrows.  But the puffins nest in another larger part of the island.