Puffin in Flight — Látrabjarg Cliff Approach
75.52 د.ك
An Atlantic puffin photographed in flight approaching the Látrabjarg cliff colony in Iceland — multiple sand eels in the bill, wings in the downbeat position, the cliff face and colony visible in the background.
Description
Puffin in-flight photography at Látrabjarg — Iceland’s largest seabird colony and the westernmost point of Europe — benefits from the prevailing westerly wind that causes the puffins to approach the cliff face from the sea into the wind, passing close to observers at the cliff edge. This image captures an adult puffin in the final approach to its colony burrow — the bill contains 12 sand eels, the maximum load recorded for the species, aligned in the characteristic lateral bill grip that allows the puffin to maintain the catch while opening the bill to catch additional fish. The wings are in the downbeat position of the final approach, and the cliff face with dozens of other puffins is visible in the background. The puffin’s characteristic colouring — the black back, white front, and the multicoloured bill — is fully visible in the soft Icelandic overcast light that eliminates harsh shadows on the white facial plumage.
