Seal Island Puffin Burrow Cam - Millie returns after a long sojourn away from the nest!
Just in time, as dad Willie left 7 hours ago for food, after a long time on nesting duties.
Audubon Celeste (mod) postIt has been a blustery week on Seal Island! Our puffins are handling the weirdly inclement weather by floating on the sea, or else staying in their burrows to incubate eggs. By now, many of the Seal Island puffin burrows contain in them an egg—including, of course, Willie and Millie’s burrow #59.
There was concern in the chat last week about Millie’s long absence from the burrow, and understandably so. The Seal Island team and I discussed the extended sojourn briefly before I left the island (sigh!) and we agreed it could be a harbinger for a strange and maybe tough season, forage-fish wise.
However- seabirds are remarkably adaptive animals. Their bodies are built for harsh climates, for long periods on open ocean, and for hunting far below the surface of the water. Millie’s extended absence and Willie’s unwavering time with the egg is a testament to the resilience of the puffins. These birds determinedly remain on their eggs for days, forgoing food for the sake of continuing the puffin lineage. When we start seeing pufflings hatch in the burrows, it’ll be all the more imperative for the puffins to find and bring back food for their young.
This week, let's keep our puffins in mind as they forage, dive, and search for food. It can be tough out there for a puffin, but these little birds and their colorful bills are tough as the granite rocks they loaf on!
Willie exits from the old entrance near #789.Gone Fishing