Six million of these irresistibly cute birds make Iceland’s islands and coastal cliffs their home every summer for the breeding season. We visited the colonies that are found on the cliffs both at Vik and Reynisdrangar and over on the Dyrholaey headland. Each place has offers a different setting. At Vik, you get the best opportunity to see them close-up whilst bobbing about on the water.
Puffins at sea
Puffins fill the sky, alongside Arctic Terns and gulls, flying in great circles way above our heads.
Vik Stacks and plenty of puffins in the sky and sea
They are typically less than 30cm long, but against a clear blue sky as a backdrop, I had trouble keeping my lens focussed. It seemed almost impossible to capture them in-flight.
Puffin in flight
I needed to get closer…
Driving out of Vik towards Dyrholaey, we took a left-turn to a small community called Reynisdrangar to see what was on the other side of the headland.
Vik pinnacles
Puffins nest by digging tunnels into the ground just above the clifftops.
Puffin incoming
These puffins and nests were way up high, above some pretty cool basalt columns, it has to be said 
Basalt columns and cave
But we weren’t close enough. Nope, we needed to get closer…
I wonder what’s over there..???
Dyrholaey beach
…Just some of these guys!
Puffins up-close
Again, no barriers – just puffins on the edge of cliffs, and a viewpoint right next to them. You couldn’t get much closer.
Puffin spectators
They were extremely obliging puffins, posing this way and that…
Puffin posing
Puffin perch
One of them decided to break into an aria for us
Puffin aria
Which was all very lovely, but they were all extremely entertaining. Take offs were amusing, but landings were hysterically clumsy. So clumsy, I was giggling too much to take a decent photo!
Puffins in take-off
When you’ve had your fill of puffin viewing (actually, the space to watch them from is pretty small and so we made way for other puffin-lovers), there is always some beautiful scenery to enjoy. Dyrholaey means “hole in the door” referring to the large natural arch in the sea cliffs. The sea is a beautiful blue-green colour.
hole in the door
Behind us all the while is the glacier Myrdalsjokull. It covers Katla, one of Iceland’s most horrific volcanoes. It looks peaceful and serene now…
Dyrholaey with Myrdalsjokull
Rainbows over Dyrholaey
Reblogged this on RD Revilo.
Thanks for the reblog
you are very welcome…peace
Fun! I supported Audubon’s Project Puffin this year (http://projectpuffin.audubon.org/) and was planning to visit the puffin colony in Maine, but the year flew by too quickly… Great pictures!
Thanks transplantedtatar – they’re cute little guys, you should definitely go visit your local colony.. you can watch them for hours without realising the time. Very entertaining
Love this post! It’s after my heart as I adore these sweet birds!
They are wonderful birds – I really enjoyed watching them
Puffins seem too cute to be real.
I know, and the thing is these are the adults… Most adult wildlife is not nearly so cute as their young – but these guys seem to debunk that theory. We were too early in the season to see any “pufflings”… they come out of their burrows mid-August. I’d love to see them
Beautiful scenery! I love puffins
Thanks YY – who couldn’t love puffins?
Great pics!
Thanks Heather
What a fun post. You captured these cute buddies very well! It’s really fun to watch them. And I stand long in full wind at the Dyrholaey spectator point to take a good photo. Because I had only a 35 mm lens with me I couldn’t got a closer view of them. But I was pleased by watching them flying. It’s really funny.
Thank you! I, too, really enjoyed watching their endless comings and goings. I could have stayed much longer. I don’t think I would have liked to have been at the cliff edge when it was windy though!
Hi, I have nominated you for the “One Lovely Blog” award! Here the link: http://praguebykaty.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/one-lovely-blog-award/ – congrats!!
Reblogged this on albertgenau.
Amazing pictures!
Thank you!
Spectacular photo’s! Added Puffin watching to my Bucket List.
They are very fun to watch – could have spent much longer watching them!