Atlantic puffins spend much of the year out on the open ocean, only coming to dry land during the breeding season. Here is the UK puffins start coming ashore at the end of April. They are relatively long lived birds, reaching ages of around 20 years and return to the same burrow each year to raise a single chick. Parental duties of incubating and feeding are shared equally between both parents. Chicks will fledge in July and our summer visitors will return to their aquatic home until their return in the following spring.

During the colder months, their bills are grey, then during the breeding season, both sexes acquire their instantly recognisable colourful orange beaks. It’s thought that a larger and more colourful beak is a sign of being healthier, making a more desirable mate.

At this time of year, their main food source is sand eels, which gather in large schools just off the coast. Their hungry chicks require a constant food supply and parents will take it in turn to head out to sea fishing.

They are efficient hunters carrying multiple fish in their beaks at one time. The joints are notched meaning they can easily cling on to a catch even while diving back in, open-mouthed searching for more. Gulls can snatch a catch mid air or as they’re landing, so they need to keep their eyes peeled for their ruthless neighbours.

It’s so easy to fall in love with these stunning little birds and their comical antics. Their often clumsy landings, adorable goofy run and social interactions are an absolute pleasure to photograph. I can’t think of a more peaceful place to be than sitting on the edge of a cliff watching their daily routines with epic sea views as a backdrop.

Sadly these birds are affected by warming seas as their main source of food, sand eels will school in harder to reach colder waters. Fortunately, they are resilient and can bounce back from poor breeding seasons as they have a long lifespan, but their future is uncertain with the increasing effects of climate change.