Book Review - Puffins - Life on the Atlantic Edge by Kevin Morgans

Puffins - Life on the Atlantic Edge

by Kevin Morgans, Foreword by Chis Packham

Once in a while a wildlife book comes along that defines a species. They are invariably written by someone who has spent an inordinate amount of time with their subject, studying every aspect of their lives in detail and getting know their character as well as their habits and rituals. Pair that with a photographic study by an individual whose name has also become synonymous with capturing mesmerising images of that species and you know you are on to a winner. 

Puffins - Life on the Atlantic Edge by the award-winning wildlife photographer Kevin Morgans is exactly that special type of book. Just one glimpse at the quality of the cover image and you know you are in for a treat, and after waiting patiently for my pre-ordered copy to arrive I can tell you that after absorbing all the 190+ pages you won't be disappointed.

This goes far beyond the standard puffin images of lone birds standing on a rock with fish in their mouths, or a small group on a clifftop looking out to sea. As Morgans explains in the text, he was continually trying to move the genre forwards, seeking new creative ways of portraying the lives of these birds, to test himself and his craft, and in the process giving the rest of us who can't spend hours or days waiting patiently on some far-flung sea cliff, a much deeper insight into the private lives of these birds than ever before.

This meant many very early mornings and late nights, waiting and hoping for an amazing sunrise or sunset (above) to help frame his images, or finding the perfect position to take advantage of the special lighting and locations required to provide stunning backlit or low-key shots (below) as just a few of the examples you will find throughout this visually stunning collection of photographs.

But this book, as I explained earlier, is about much more than just the wonderful photography. It also gives you an in-depth look behind the scenes into the lives of the puffins on a daily basis. Their struggle to survive is real and all is not necessarily well in puffin land - they are currently listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list of threatened species. However, the issues are covered and so putting that worry aside for now and getting back to celebrating this book, what I found particularly enjoyable was the snippets of their daily lives I have never managed to glimpse myself before. The pairing and bonding rituals, the gathering of nesting material, through to the raising and fledging of their chicks. It is all covered here with intimate portraits of each of these stages and more along the way. It really is most comprehensive and along with the obvious technical and creative merit of the photography, that is what should be applauded above all I think.

Order online now and save with our exclusive member discount!

Please click the Buy Now button below to get 15% off the RRP courtesy of the publishers Sandstone Press.

Just use the code HebrideanAdventuresPuffins15 at the checkout which will expire on the 14th December 2022 so be quick!

*SPECIAL NEW CRUISE ALERT*

You could join author/photographer Kevin Morgans at the Shiant Isles in June 2023 with our partner Wildlife Worldwide for a very special puffin photography cruise and workshop!

Please click the image below to view their website for full details and pricing of this exclusive cruise, and we will hope to see you on board with them next year!