Rider on the Storm

I'm not a great fan of seagulls and their beady, calculating eyes. But Fulmars are a different matter.

When the wind howls, and multi-million pound ships and helicopters are heading for cover, or just trying to stay in one piece, the Fulmars are in their element. Weaving between the wave tops, banking from side to side, converting the swirls of wind from the wave tops into huge acceleration with the merest twist of their wingtips. That they're close relatives of teh Albatrosses should come as no surprise.

Once on the water, they take on a more comical air. Running along the surface, and occasionally so preoccupied with pecking at bits of food that a wave sweeps over them and they bob up like a cork on the other side. Any ship that hangs around in one place for more than a few hours often attracts it's own fulmar flotilla - the birds being ever curious and on the look out for an easy meal.

Catching them on the wing from a violently moving ship isn't ideal, especially with only a 55mm lens. So hopefully something a bit sharper than this when I get round to getting a zoom