10,000 Birds

AUGUST 29, 2011

I love puffins. Before my trip to Washington the only species of puffin I had ever seen in the wild was the puffin of the Atlantic Ocean, the appropriately named Atlantic Puffin. At $55 a head, and free for toddler Desi, the chance to see puffins from a comfortable boat seemed too good to ignore.

Washington 184

Washington Protection Puffins Rhinoceros 184

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2013

The hotel owner told us that visiting them in the evening had the best showing of puffins as they returned to the cliffs from the sea. Hundreds of birds all huddled closely together, dangling from the jagged ledges, seemingly separated by species in separate levels along the cliff. The cliffs are a newbie photographer’s dream.

Iceland 217

Iceland Puffins Europe Birds 217

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

In California I smelt the breath a Blue Whale as it passed feet beneath my boat. You may not get the species counts that the race delivers, but you’ll have memories burned into your skull. In Hawaii I stood on a beach as albatrosses fledged and Tiger Sharks prowled for the less successful ones.

Uganda 166

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 166

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

The inscrutable species frustrated me and I found myself especially stumped by the difficulty I had distinguishing them, and wildly mystified by the excitement they inspired in my fellow-birders. We didn’t even need binoculars to enjoy the puffins – they were close enough to be marveled at naked-eye! Happy puffins.

Puffins 188

Puffins Whales Whaling Bald Eagle 188