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A photographer will die of old age waiting to get another shot like this one. When a male can't stand it anymore! Priceless shot!

Return of the Puffins

Author: Michelle Custodio

Those popular clown-faced seabirds, Puffins, have returned to Ramsey Island off the Pembrokeshire coast after an absence of over a century.

But the 200 birds the visitor on holiday in Wales will see on the nature reserve island at the moment are impostors! They are in fact realistic plastic models of these attractive little black and white auks placed along the cliff tops in an attempt to lure the real birds back to breed there. Tourists on holiday in Wales may be interested to learn that this plastic invasion has been orchestrated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to try and re-establish the breeding colony that existed there until 1894 when rats forced the puffins to abandon their clifftop burrows. Rats are anathema to Puffins whose nesting sites in old rabbit burrows are easy targets for the voracious rodents who like nothing better than a Puffin egg or chick for dinner. The RSPB have now rid the island of rats, but the puffins, it seems, have long memories and will not nest on Ramsey.

Visitors on Wales holiday are familiar with the Puffin colonies on Skomer and Skokholm islands on the other side of St Brides Bay where they can watch these quaint little birds coming and going with beaks full of sand eels for their young. In the eveings they congregate around their nesting sites like so many little party-goers in their dinner jackets, their faces bright with yellow, blue and red markings.

The RSPB experiment is not the first to have been tried. Holiday in Wales visitors may well recall a similar bid by the Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales at Cardigan Island off the southern tip of Cardigan Bay 20 years ago when decoys were placed on the cliffs to bring the Puffins back. There, the rats came ashore from the wreck of a steamer in the 1930s, and the puffins abandoned the island.

The decoys placed on Cardigan Island for several seasons failed to do the trick and the Puffins are no longer on the list of avian inhabitants although other seabirds such as guillemots and razorbills still colonise the inaccessible cliff ledges.

Holiday in Wales visitors to Ramsey Island have a rich variety of birds and sea creatures to see on the island and off its shores, It has a flourishing grey seal colony and there have been frequent sightings of Dolphins, Harbour porpoises and even Killer Whales and Sunfish off its coast.

Visit Bluestone for more information on Pembrokeshire holidays

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/return-of-the-puffins-4600747.html

About the Author

One Hindrance to Squirrels and Chipmunks are Metal Cages

Author: QuinnLucas Bird feeding and watching entails simple steps and the rewards that await you are invaluable. There is, however, a hidden disadvantage with feeding nomadic and local birds.

There are days when you will/ hope you have a nice squirrel proof bird feeder for a trouble free progression of your hobby. Go to Figure 1. The gaps between the metal poles of the cages are strategic handles for the squirrel onto the hanging bird feeders. However, do the squirrels really make it to the feeds?

What really happens is the smart and diligent squirrels can get to your large bird feeder but not that fast if you are using these squirrel proof feeder designs. But first, let us take a look why do squirrels including raccoons and chipmunks can become a nuisance when we are talking about bird feeding. The main reason is that the best bird seed types, including the general favorite black oil sunflower seeds and other nuts that are in your large bird feeder are very much attractive to squirrels. They will be in better luck if they will have the food in the feeders all to themselves. But they are predominantly detrimental to your pastime. First reason is that not only do they steal the bird seeds, they also ruin your bird feeders on their way in out of the gnawing and chewing they have to do. You will most likely not be able to use your feeders any further after they have explored them. Next, you cannot domesticate squirrels and train them to behave just like your pet dogs and cats. Unhatched fledglings may get killed because of the running squirrels in the feeder that might accidentally crush them. It is a real shame to think that some of these animals actually feed on bird eggs. On top of that, an empty feeder will surely drive away birds so the best way to deal with these problems is to have a quality squirrel proof bird feeder. We recommend that you use a metal pole and then paint it for a finished look while preventing rust or corrosion. You have to remember that squirrels can leap from point A to point B at a maximum length of almost six feet, directly related to their sizes. Now, this leads you to the hint that the squirrel proof bird feeder should be placed far from these launching pads. Your feeders may fall off to the ground if they continue to hit it intentionally thru routine jumping exercises. Another fail-safe way to deal with chipmunks and squirrels is to mix crushed peppers on your birds seeds. The birds will not mind them being there but the mammals will definitely do. Just picture their disappointment once they have gotten their anticipated conquest. Bird feeding is aimed to be a relaxing hobby and this is very possible as long as you follow the tried and tested tips pertaining to squirrel proof bird feeders. The presence of squirrels and chipmunks near your feeders will no longer be a problem for you. No harm will go near your birds anymore.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/one-hindrance-to-squirrels-and-chipmunks-are-metal-cages-4495658.html

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