Puffin Trio

Perched on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the North Sea these puffins have lined up waiting to take off to go fishing. They wait for the right moment to launch themselves off the cliffs and flap their wings rapidly to gain the speed they need to fly.
Puffins are any of three small species of auk with a brightly coloured beak in the breeding season. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among rocks or in burrows in the soil.
Two species, the Tufted Puffin and Horned Puffin, are found in the North Pacific Ocean, while the Atlantic Puffin, is found in the North Atlantic Ocean and around the shores of the UK.
All puffin species have predominantly black or black and white plumage, a stocky build, and large beaks. They shed the colourful outer parts of their bills after the breeding season, leaving a smaller and duller beak. Their short wings are adapted for swimming with a flying technique under water. In the air, they beat their wings rapidly (up to 400 times per minute) in swift flight, often flying low over the ocean's surface.