MANX SHEARWATER // PUFFINUS PUFFINUS
ADAPTED BEAUTIFULLY to living at sea, with long narrow wings, and its feet placed far back on its body for afficient swimming. UNFORTUNATELY this makes life on land difficult, it can not walk easily and tends to be very ungainly on land, SHUFFLING and sometimes SLEDGING along on its belly. Which makes it easy prey for PREDATORS, such as Great-backed Gulls, hence the large number of carcasses around SKOMER ISLAND .... To minimise this danger, MANX SHEARWATERS nest in underground burrows, and only come or leave the island at the pitch black of night. Something you will never forget, the sound at night as they return, thousands of whirring wing-beats, weird, strangled coughing calls, sounds more fitting for a Alfred Hitchcock creepy film. ESTIMATED 120,000 breeding pairs. MY BEST GUESS is this one saw the dimmed wardens lights, and got disorientated, came down next to the building, and hence was saved from the Gulls, other wise I would not got to see one ! It was gone the next day, can only hope it made it back to sea!
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THANK YOU for your support and kind comments, it is very appreciated indeed, please stay safe, happy clicking, God Bless. .....................Tomx
MANX SHEARWATER // PUFFINUS PUFFINUS
ADAPTED BEAUTIFULLY to living at sea, with long narrow wings, and its feet placed far back on its body for afficient swimming. UNFORTUNATELY this makes life on land difficult, it can not walk easily and tends to be very ungainly on land, SHUFFLING and sometimes SLEDGING along on its belly. Which makes it easy prey for PREDATORS, such as Great-backed Gulls, hence the large number of carcasses around SKOMER ISLAND .... To minimise this danger, MANX SHEARWATERS nest in underground burrows, and only come or leave the island at the pitch black of night. Something you will never forget, the sound at night as they return, thousands of whirring wing-beats, weird, strangled coughing calls, sounds more fitting for a Alfred Hitchcock creepy film. ESTIMATED 120,000 breeding pairs. MY BEST GUESS is this one saw the dimmed wardens lights, and got disorientated, came down next to the building, and hence was saved from the Gulls, other wise I would not got to see one ! It was gone the next day, can only hope it made it back to sea!
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THANK YOU for your support and kind comments, it is very appreciated indeed, please stay safe, happy clicking, God Bless. .....................Tomx