The Bounder

The robber, the thief, the cad, the bounder .....! What a bully! It was a scenario that kept repeating itself over and over. The hard working puffins flew in with mouthfuls of sandeels to feed their pufflings in the burrows and every time they were challenged. The gulls just came in mob handed to steal the hard earned food. 

Standing watching I just felt sickened. It all happened so fast. The puffin would fly over at speed and be clocked by the black-headed gulls. If the puffin went directly to the burrow entrance and like an arrow dived in there all was well but so often they had to land, scurry on foot as fast as they could, even diving down other burrows to lose the gulls who stood guard at the entrance for a while till another puffin came over. This latter scenario was more common and the action was frantic and my heart went out to the little birds. Watching from the path there were oohs and aahs as the battle was fought over the burrows and cheers when a puffin made it home.

I just felt I should show that the puffin isn't just a gorgeously photogenic and cute little bird but also one that is having to endure quite a hardship and not everything is as idylic as it first appears.