Razorbills of Bolungarvík, Iceland

 

A Morning Surprise: The Razorbill Pair

I absolutely love this picture. Yesterday I mentioned how I’ve been very visual lately, and here’s another example of what I mean. Each morning when I log onto my computer, I never know what visual treat might be waiting for me. My wallpaper rotates every couple of days—sometimes it’s a misty bridge, other times a fierce tiger mid-prowl. The photography is always stunning. I envy the talent behind these shots. It’s the kind of artistry I once dreamed of mastering.

But today, I want to spotlight one image in particular: a pair of razorbills standing close together on a rocky ledge by the sea.

Texture, Contrast, and Connection

It’s not that razorbills are the most elegant birds. Their plumage is simple—dark brown above, white below—but this photo captures something extraordinary. The contrast is brilliant. The clarity is so sharp I can almost feel the downy softness of their feathers and trace the texture of their chocolate-brown heads. The white bellies pop against the deep blue of the ocean, and the whole composition feels like a masterclass in natural lighting and framing.

A Quiet Moment of Devotion

What really gets me, though, is the sentiment. These birds aren’t just standing side by side—they’re touching heads, mirroring each other in a way that feels tender and intentional. There’s a quiet devotion in their posture, a kind of avian intimacy that’s rare to catch on camera. It’s a reminder that beauty isn’t always loud or flashy. Sometimes it’s found in the stillness, in the connection, in the way two creatures simply exist together.

This picture has it all—texture, color, emotion. And I’m so glad it found its way to my screen.

 

Ahoy! There Be Puffins!

So far we’d seen razorbills , gannets and a stranded seal but only a few puffins. It was time to reverse the procedure we used getting from shore to the Barbara Frost. We needed to sit on the gunwale, swing our feet over and step into a little tender boat. The problem is it was quite a step and the little boat wasn’t a solid landing. No it was bouncing up an down in the waves. Thank goodness for Captain Andy and his strong arm. He was right there to lend support.

Once on land we had a long uphill ramp before we started across the flat part to the light house.  This is where the being fat, old and out of shape nearly did me in. I couldn’t get the camera back pack on my back over the life jacket we were required to wear and it was dragging me down. Just as I thought I couldn’t take another step, someone from the group grabbed the back pack as they went by me and team leader Scott took my arm to help me. I was happy but boy did I feel old!

seal island

On land the razorbills look like little penguins even though they aren’t any relation and unlike penguins, flying is not a problem.

Razorbills

Once everyone was gathered in front of the lighthouse we were given our marching orders. We would be taken to the blinds and left there. We were to stay put until someone came back to get us. We were not to disturb the birds in any way. Cameras and lenses had to be within the blind. Only open the windows on one side of the blind at a time. Good luck and have fun.

The blinds weren’t all that big and there were 4 of us crammed in the blind I was in. Two of us had cameras and the other two were just interested in bird watching. I gave up trying to swap any lenses, there just wasn’t room but once we opened the little windows any complaints about space or cameras were forgotten. There were the Puffins.

Fly My Pretty

It was worth it all!

Lighthouses, Eagles and a Seal , Oh My!

As we headed out of the harbor into the Bay of Fundy we passed the first lighthouse.

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The 2nd one would be on Machias Seal Island.  Both Canada and the United States claim sovereignty. The Canadian Coast Guard continues to staff a lighthouse on the island.

Machias Seal Island

The whole Island is considered a bird sanctuary so boardwalks have been constructed for the humans to walk on to avoid stepping on nests or baby birds.

On the way out of the harbor we  spotted a pair of bald eagles.

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It gives me a thrill to see so many of these magnificent birds. It was hard to get a picture  as the Barbara Frost was starting to pitch a bit as she picked up speed.

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We didn’t see any whales.

It was about an hour trip and it felt like it. It was cold even when we huddled near the cabin. Hard to believe that it was 90 + in Boston!

Our first indication that we were nearing the island was a raft of small black and white birds.

A raft of Razorbills

They are called Razorbills and also nest on the island with the Puffins. Right after the razorbills came in sight a puffin flew across our stern. These bird make me think of bumblebees. They have such round little bodies and stubby wings. Its hard to believe they can fly at all!

Bumblebee of the Bird World

Right after that we spotted the lighthouse.

lighthouse copy

We were surprised to see some gannets mixed in with the razorbills on the rocks but the biggest surprise of our approach was the stranded seal!

Gannet & Seal copy

I mentioned the huge tides in a previous post. Well apparently this guy hauled out at high tide and forgot to leave when the tide receded.

Standed

Now we watched in fascination and horror as he slowly (and painfully) worked his way down the rocks. He landed face first more than once. I mean, that’s got to hurt!

Still Going

Determination

Almost there

He was almost to the bottom when we got the go ahead to land from the coast guard and had to miss his big splash. It was time for us to start part 2 of our big Puffin Adventure.