Fun puffins

When my knees let me down and we abandoned our coastal walk, I said to Nigel, 'I remember you telling me about labrador dogs who train to be guide dogs for the blind. Some of them prove unsuitable and appear to live with a sense of failure ever after. Having dropped out of our walk I feel like one of those dogs.'

Nigel scratched his head to think what would cheer me up. 

He booked a boat trip to see the puffins nesting on Skomer Island.

There is nothing more cheering than a puffin. 

Like clockwork bath toys they bobbed in the waves with their clown beaks. Even better was when they flew, each flight so lacking in competence that it looked like it must be the first, their bright red feet stuck out at an ungainly angle, as if longing to land. 

So yes, the puffins made me smile, but even more cheering was the fact that they were part of a healthy colony.

The colony at Skomer is very successful as it is sited in a small no-catch zone where fishing is banned, as advocated by David Attenborough in his recent film, Ocean, and there is plenty for them to eat.

If we had more zones like that, my smile would run from ear to ear! 

With thanks to Graeme for his puffin photo.