Atlantic Puffin with Sand Lance , Fratercula arctica (Macareux moine) Gull Island, Witless Bay Ecological Reserve (south of St. John's) Newfoundland & Labrador ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved Canon EOS 1DsMKIII, 500mm F4IS, 2X II Teleconverter and Canon 25mm extension tube. ISO 400, F20 1/160s Manual mode. Gitzo 1325 tripod and Wimberley Head II.
Proper exposure technique is crucial to maintaining intricate detail in both the whites and blacks. Be sure to check your histogram and expose so the whites are right up against the right hand side, without touching (expose it right, to the right). Often overlooked is the use of a sturdy tripod and head, and good long lens technique - it's pointless to achieve perfect exposure, only to loose the detail by hand-holding or bad long lens technique.
Atlantic Puffin Back in Black , Fratercula arctica (Macareux moine) Iceland ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved Canon EOS 1DMKII, 300mm F2.8IS. ISO 400, F2.8 1/1250s Manual mode. Canon 580 EX Flash in manual mode.
Everybody loves puffins! I know that it's probably the most sought after bird species for birders and bird photographers alike. There's hundreds of puffin books out there and even puffin clubs and associations. It is the official bird of the Canadian province Newfoundland and Labrador. The genius name Fratercula means "little brother" or "friar" which may refer to its black and white coloring. I've spent countless hours watching, studying and photographing them in Maine, Quebec, Newfoundland and Iceland. Puffins are curious and I'm sure that they spend just as much time watching and studying me.
A seabird species in the auk family, the Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) is a pelagic (Relating to or living in or on oceanic waters) bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish like Capelin and Sand lance. If necessary, they will also eat other sea creatures like squid and crustaceans. A series of backward-pointing spines that project from the tongue and top of the mouth allow them to hold food in place while more is being caught. The record in Canada is 61 fish in one bird's mouth!
Approximately 95% of the Atlantic Puffins in North America breed around Newfoundland's coastlines. With an estimated population of more than 260,000 pairs, Witless Bay Ecological Reserve near St.John's is the largest puffin colony in the western Atlantic.
Puffins have difficulty taking-off and flap their wings at an amazing 300-400 beats per minute.They also have trouble landing and often crash.
A "puffin wheel" is when they gather in large numbers and fly in wide circles over the sea around their nesting grounds to protect and defend against gull predation - it's a sight to behold.
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