Cannon Beach, Oregon 2009

Originally uploaded by mnirishman

Watch for the many rare and spectacular birds that can be seen here. Haystack Rock is the closest accessible observation point to see tufted puffins
during their spring and summer nesting seasons. Tens of  thousands of common murres can be seen in spring and summer on Bird Rocks near Chapman Point. Many varieties of shorebirds are spotted on beaches and estuaries during spring and fall migrations. Look for a variety of seabirds and
ducks in fall and winter. From spring to early fall, pelicans can be observed soaring just above the waves or diving into the water with a splash. See bald eagles and peregrine falcons as they patrol the coast year-round.

You can read more about Cannon Beach here.

Puffin Poster

(You can click on the poster to buy it!)

Paul A. Lanquist is a Northwest artist who currently lives near Mt. St. Helens Washington with his wife and family. Paul is a dedicated outdoor enthusiast, has been a commercial artist and Illustrator for 20 years and has worked for a variety of companies such as Fred Meyer, Danner Boots, GI Joe’s, Whole Foods, Luhr Jensen, and Princess Cruise Lines. His unique style captures the rugged, quaint, friendly and dignified personality of life in United States and Canada. Paul believes that part of being a good illustrator is learning to build from past experience and to study the work of other American illustrators. Through the years Paul has gravitated to the work of illustrators from the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s that use color and design to communicate their ideas in a straightforward way. The natural beauty of America is another important influence in Paul’s work. By combining the nostalgic look and feel of the past with the spectacular scenery of this country, Paul has created destination and travel items that capture the beauty and lifestyle found there.

One of our young readers had a birthday this week! And we wanted to wish her a very, very happy birthday! When we told the Maddhatress about our new friend having a birthday—she painted her a couple of happy birthday pictures! We scanned them in and here they are…

Happy Birthday from the Maddhatress (and Puffinpalooza.com)

Picture #2…for twice the fun!

And a second Happy Birthday from the Maddhatress and Puffinpalooza.com

See the puffin peeking out of the teapot door? Cute! Thanks Maddhatress and we hope our new friend had a wonderful birthday!

Atlantic Puffin swiming

Originally uploaded by victorcerutti

And yet another great photograph from victorcerutti on flickr.

This puffin is scooping down. Colorful beak. The clown of the sea swimming about finding food. Great action image capture.

Talking to the Zookeepers pays off!! Next time you visit a zoo—say hello and don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Tufted puffin couple at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, WA

Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium currently has 20 tufted puffins in its exhibit, 9 males and 11 females. The tufted puffins range in age from 1 to 31. They currently have the oldest living puffin in captivity at 31 years of age!! He is only 3 years younger than me! =) Not only is he the oldest living puffin in captivity but tufted puffins are thought to only be capable of producing and raising chicks until their mid-twenties but this 31-year-old tufted puffin is a proud papa this year! The Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium also has the oldest living female in captivity at 27 years old. And if all this isn’t enough to make you get excited they also have 3 tufted puffin pairs that they believe are raising chicks this year. I wrote ‘they believe’ because the zookeepers try to let the tufted puffins raise the chicks as naturally as possible so the zookeepers do not check on their progress. They wait and are surprised by the little ones in the exhibit. How fun is that?!?

This is one of the tufted puffin mothers who had a chick this year

The youngest tufted puffin chick at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium as of August 2009!

The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium is currently in the middle of some intensive training with their puffins as well. In the past year they have been training them to eat from the zookeepers’ hands so that they can better deliver any vitamins and medications the puffins may need. The training has been extremely successful so far. Part of this training for the last 6 months included working on scale training the puffins (training the puffins to step on a scale in order to get more frequent weights) instead of having to catch the puffins and hold them to get their weight. Catching them is extremely stressful for the puffins and so the the new weighing techniques has been very effective for both the zookeepers and the puffins. The Pt. Defiance Zoo now has weights on all birds except for about 4.

It is amazing what some hard work can produce! These quirky adorable little birds are definitely smarter than the zookeepers realized. I, for one, am looking forward to discovering more about the little pufflings and the progress of the training at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium!

For more information on the puffin exhibit (within the Rocky Shores exhibit) at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium—you can visit them online at their official website or in person at:

Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
5400 N Pearl St # D Ruston, WA 98407-3296
(253) 591-5337

What are the hours and days of operation to see the puffins at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium? The zoo is open from 9:30-6:00 until September 7. After that the zoo is open from 9:30-5:00. The birds can be viewed any time during those hours, their exhibit is never closed.

When are the best times to go to see the puffins at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium if you have questions?
They feed their puffins 3 times a day during breeding season, twice a day during non-breeding season. As of right now, they are fed at approximately 8:00, 12:00-1:00, and 3:00-3:30. They will discontinue the last feeding during non-breeding season. This isn’t really definitive, but there is not a set schedule to when they feed their animals but this is a good guess. I will update you when I find out more…

Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata)

Originally uploaded by ConstantineD

Another fabulous photo of a Tufted Puffin by ConstantineD on flickr.

by: Emma Snow

About The Author

Emma Snow has always adored wild animals. Emma provides content for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com and Riding Stable http://www.riding-stable.com.

Female Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata)

Originally uploaded by ConstantineD

The Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata) is an auk, similar in appearance to the Atlantic Puffin; this bird’s bill is yellow at the base and red at the tip. It is a pelagic seabird that feeds primarily by diving for fish. It nests in colonies, often with other auks.

The yellow bill plate grows before the breeding season and is shed later. They have a small fleshy black “horn” above their eyes. They have a white face with a dark line extending from the back of the eye and red feet.

This species breeds on rocky islands off the coasts of Siberia, Alaska and British Columbia, in burrows, in rocky cavities or among rocks. It winters far out to sea. Feeding areas are usually located fairly far offshore from the nest. There is usually one chick and both parents feed the young.

Horned Puffins will return from hunting with several small fish in their beaks. They also eat squid and crustaceans.

The population of these birds has declined due to the introduction of rats onto some islands used for nesting.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horned_Puffin

Did he see us?

Originally uploaded by ippop

These puffins are playing hide-n-go-seek with this photographer, ippop from flickr. It is so much fun. Maybe they think since they can’t see him—he can’t see them. Puffins are quirky little birds, aren’t they?

Puffin

Originally uploaded by ippop

Another fantastic photo by ippop on flickr. This really is gorgeous!!