Puffin, originally uploaded by Diddi Sig.

Doesn’t this photograph look like a painting? Amazing.

Technology may help save the puffins of Farne Isles. We must first understand the puffins and their habits completely before we can help rectify the strains that are leading to decling numbers. This is exactly what they are doing at the National Trust Farnes Isles. Led by Dr Richard Bevan from Newcastle University researchers used up-to-date GPS Logging equipment to track 12 birds,¹

“…birds to follow their fishing expeditions out from the islands and back. Results reveal that they now appear to be travelling about 20 miles out from the islands – whereas they were previously thought to head anything up to 60 miles away.”

This information is vital to scientist and researchers in helping preserve the much-needed feeding areas and helping puffin populations thrive.

1. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/press/feeding-flight-paths,1377651.html [↩]

Little pufflings often get lost when they leave their burrow, city lights confuse them and they don’t always make it out to sea. They wander into towns and could potentially die. So this town has learned how to help these baby puffins make it out to sea… watch for yourself…

Home Sweet Home, originally uploaded by Recycled Teenager (NORFOLK IMAGES).

Skokholm Island in Wales is the home of 4,500 puffins and thus relevant to all who love the little birds. The quaint cottage in the photograph was built in the late 1920′s from the wood of the Alice Williams, a ship wrecked upon its shores. it was renovated in the 1930′s with the same ship’s wood. Now it is about to be renovated along with the other buildings on the island to make the island more habitable, become self-sustaining (eco-friendly style) and still preserve the nature aspect of the island.

The project is set to be completed by 2012…which means sometime in the near future, this will be a wonderful new place to see our little puffins in their natural habit.

I will keep you up to date on this project!

one pair of each, originally uploaded by WildWaWas.

A pair each of Horned and Tufted Puffins, Reef Point, St. Paul Island, Alaska

I wrote about Nintendo’s Puffins Island Adventure awhile back and linked to a pretty thorough review. Now I’ve found three Nintendo DSi Mini-Games you can download that are in addition to the Puffins Island Adventure…

Screenshots from all three mini games

Puffins: Let’s Fish

Chomp your way to victory in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean! Dive into the deep blue sea and load up your beak with delicious fish, but watch out! The ocean can be a dangerous place and you’re not the only one hunting for food. Sharks, jellyfish and other fearsome sea creatures are just waiting to take a chomp out of you. Avoid the predators and use a “Quick Catch” to gulp as many fish as you can while you explore sunken ships and underwater tunnels in this fast paced, old school arcade-style action game. It’s an All-You-Can-Eat feast in two different exciting gameplay modes across 18 underwater stages. So take a deep breath, jump in and come up with a full belly, but remember to look out for those sharks!¹

Puffins: Let’s Roll

Baby Puffins need your help! They’re just about to hatch from their eggs, but the eggs have been misplaced! Try not to crack up as you reunite the missing Puffin eggs with their mothers using our innovative new control scheme to roll the eggs in two thrilling game modes (Egg Roll and Capelin Catch) over 20 levels of fiendish puzzles. Watch out for rocks, trees, ice and other hazards as you face challenges from all new obstacles never before seen in Puffins: Island Adventure. Don’t take too long or bump into too many obstacles though, or you’ll have a cranky baby Puffin on your hands!²

Puffins: Let’s Race

Get ready to challenge the speediest puffins on the island for the title of Fastest Flyer! Go beak-to-beak with your opponents in a race to the finish line or go solo against the clock. Use strategically placed power-ups like the “Squawk Shot” to get ahead of the pack and win the race. Speed through four different game modes on eight different tracks to prove your flight skill or challenge up to three of your friends in local wireless play. Do you have what it takes to become the race champion of Puffin Island or will you be left behind with the rest of the flock?³

1. http://www.puffinsislandadventure.com/sitemap.php?page=dsigames [↩]
2. http://www.puffinsislandadventure.com/sitemap.php?page=dsigames [↩]
3. http://www.puffinsislandadventure.com/sitemap.php?page=dsigames [↩]

I found another free online puffin game for all of you to play…PUFFIN PILOT… where you are a puffin flying a plane through hoops, as many as necessary for each level… its up and down…all around puffin fun!

Click on either picture to play Puffin Pilot online free!

Click on either picture to play Puffin Pilot online free!

Horned Puffin, originally uploaded by PamHigg.

During June and July you will find the most opportunity to go and see puffins. It is their nesting season and they are crowding the rocky shores all over. You should definitely plan for your puffin vacation during these two months! Or go see some locally, if you are lucky enough to live in driving distance to them as we are in the Pacific Northwest.