Atlantic Puffins
Fratercula arctica

f7.1 @ 1/400s, ISO:3200, Nikon D3S w 80-200mm @ 200mm

\"Atlantic Puffin,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.Having spent the winter alone on the ocean, it is unclear whether the Atlantic Puffin meets its previous partner offshore or whether they first encounter each other when they return to their nest of the previous year. On land, they soon set about improving and clearing out the burrow. Often, one stands outside the entrance while the other excavates, kicking out quantities of soil and grit that showers the partner standing outside. Some birds collect stems and fragments of dry grasses as nesting materials but others do not bother. Sometimes a beakful of materials is taken underground, only to be brought out again and discarded. Apart from nest-building, the other way in which the birds restore their bond is by billing. This is a practice in which the pair approach each other, each wagging its head from side to side, and then rattle their beaks together. This seems to be an important element of their courtship behavior because it happens repeatedly, and the birds continue to bill, to a lesser extent, throughout the breeding season.

Latrabjarg, Iceland

06/01/2013