Everybody loves birds right? Blue Jays, Cardinals, Robins, Finches, hummingbirds… but who’s seen an Atlantic Puffin?
This little puffin seemed to know I wanted a great shot of him!
They are a hard one to check off your bird-watcher list. They are rarely seen from land…and spend most of their lives at sea only coming in to breed and raise their young for a few short months. Just off the coast of Cape Breton is the Bird Islands, a set of rocky, craggy, barren islands that just happen to be the perfect breeding ground for seabirds like to Atlantic Puffin!
Two young eagles, two 2-3 year old eagles, and a mature eagle hanging out on an escarpment on Bird Islands.
Bald Eagles are abundant on Bird Islands. Plenty of fish in the ocean to feed on and also the abundance of young and immature puffins draw the Eagles to the Islands. Young eagles develop to maturity at 4 years old, and their distinctive white heads and tails appear at that time as well.
Pair of Mature Bald Eagles enjoying the evening sun on Bird Islands.
Donelda says there are about 30 mature eagles seen on the islands, along with young eagles of all ages.
The Bird Islands are accessible by 35-45 minute boat ride, and if you go out with Donelda’s Puffin Boat tours you’ll get a real sense of how these birds live. It seems like a tough life…months at sea, predators all around during breeding time, and then back out to sea… but it works for the Atlantic Puffin and others.
April
Amanda
Debbie
Wes Surrett
silverdartwillena
Hilda
sdlchad
Philippa
silverdartwilly
