This photo was selected for NANPA's 2024 Showcase! (North American Nature Photographers Association)
The top 250 images were selected from thousands of entries across six categories: mammals, birds, landscapes, conservation, altered reality, and macro / micro / other wildlife.
Puffins are an iconic part of Iceland. We were on Grimsey Island, which is north of Iceland on the Arctic Circle. Sand eel fish were close and plentiful. So many birds depend on these fish - puffins, razor bills, terns etc.
However, south of where we were the sand eels are getting less plentiful due to global warming. The puffling is dependent on its parents bringing sand eels to the burrow. When the puffins have to fly further to get the fish the puffling may not get the amount that it needs to survive. Puffin numbers are dropping as a result.
WILDLIFE Photography
Arctic Terns were nesting in a field outside of our guest house. The white birds against a white sky were so elegant. Here the males are courting females by feeding them in mid-air. When they weren't focused on each other, they were busy attacking anything or anyone who walked into the field.