Guillemot

Guillemot on cliffs North Haven - Skomer Island

A slim long bodied Auk / Breeding Resident / Breeds in close packed colonies / Nests on a bare ledge on sheer cliffs / 1 pear shaped egg balanced on top of the feet / parents exchange the egg from feet to feet / 1 Brood , 1 egg , Incubation 33 days
The chicks glide to the sea 21 days after hatching to join there father / Better for the chicks to complete their fledging at sea than in the jostling cliff communes / The female remains on the ledge to claim that spot for the next year / winters at sea , well offshore , visiting breeding sites on calm days / It comes to land only to nest, spending the rest of its life at sea / Feeds on Fish and crustaceans , diving from the surface to catch fish .
Typical Lifespan 24years.