EVERY SUMMER IN ICELAND, AN AVIAN odyssey takes place. A squad of seabird fanatics makes a grand tour of the length and breadth of the country, visiting a dozen or so Atlantic puffin colonies in an expedition known enticingly as the Puffin Rally. In July 2023, we joined the adventure – the second year in a row we were lucky enough to do so - as photographers.
The squad comprised Erpur Snær Hansen (a world expert on seabird ecology), seabird researcher Björg Harðardóttir (conveniently married to Erpur), and Rodrigo Martínez Catalan, a researcher who apparently got so fed up of the gorgeous Spanish climes that he moved to Iceland. This trio of experts, who work for the South Iceland Nature Research Centre (SINRC), bestowed on us the affectionate nickname of The Princes. Our royal role was to assist the research during the puffins' breeding season. While the scientists investigated the reproductive success of the colonies, our job was to document the birds' feeding habits using our photography skills. Our home and chariot for the two weeks we were here was a modified Toyota Landcruiser with a trailer tent in tow, known as the Puffmobile.
Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av BBC Wildlife.
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Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av BBC Wildlife.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Jump Around - Bagheera Kiplingi - The acrobatic spider with a predilection for veggie food
Spiders eat flies, right? everyone knows that the 45,000 or so spiders in the world are all obligate carnivores, more or less – eating other animals, mainly invertebrates. Nature, however, loves an exception, and one particular spider missed out on that ecological memo. It goes by the wonderful scientific name of Bagheera kiplingi, and its claim to fame is that its diet is – at least mostly – vegetarian.
Female of the Species - Zebras - A strong sisterhood is key to staying safe
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See It, Save It? - Wildlife tourism can be a powerful ally in protecting nature - but it can also harm it. We weigh up the pros and cons.
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Can Your Really Offset Emissions? - Planning an overseas wildlife-watching trip entails facing some inconvenient truths
Imagine (or maybe you don't need to) that you hanker after the safari trip of a lifetime in sub-Saharan Africa. A 17-day tour beginning at the iconic Victoria Falls, passing through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania, taking in some of the continent’s most wildlife-rich national parks, and ending on the lush island of Zanzibar.
Metamorphosis: a life-changing event
WITH EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST JV CHAMARY
New series for BBC One: Asia
Settle in this autumn for a new natural-history extravaganza on BBC One and iPlayer: the longawaited Asia, presented by Sir David Attenborough.
Loss of Antarctic sea ice could impact seabird food supply
Albatrosses and petrels may be forced to fly further to feed
Tarsiers in trouble
Urgent action is needed to ensure survival of the Yoda-like primate
SNAP-CHAT
Chien Lee on shrew loos, rogue drones and being rained out of bed
VISIONS OF NATURE
The winners of the Wildlife Artist of the Year competition 2024, from David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
