The bill

After the cliffhanger of this morning's outage it seems all the more appropriate to have another go at blipping this handsome coastal dweller perched above the sea in his/her breeding plumage. (At other times of the year there is more white on the head.) No sign of a chick, it may be tucked into a crevice.

I don't know whether this is a male or a female but razorbills are known to bond for life and that means anything up to 40 years. It's a long time for a stable union to persist and, as you might imagine, all is not quite as it seems. Mrs RB selects her mate and the pair go on to raise  a single, annual, chick together but she's not chained to the nest, oh no!
Most razorbill sexual activity takes places on  ledges known as 'mating arenas'  used both by established pairs and by singletons.  The females copulate with a large number of males as well as with their partners who try their damnedest to rein in their mates. Apparently the object of the exercise for the female is to ensure conception (given there's only one chance) just in case her chosen mate proves infertile - well, they would say that.
It's hard not to be anthropomorphic when the noises that razorbills make sound so much like the well-rehearsed groans and grumbles of the conjugal ledge, and indeed much like my own growls of frustration when I found Blipfoto had all but disappeared this morning. Thank goodness it's back but for how long?

 This could be the last time   (Oh no!)

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