Troupe Head

The RSPB reserve at Troupe head is between Macduff and Fraserburgh and houses a very large Gannet colony. I walked in round the east tip of the headland hoping to see Puffins but didn't see a single one. There is a definate problem with their main staple of sand eels. The photo opportunities for the Gannets are fantastic because you are above them and by panning can get some beautiful in flight pictures. I had worked my way around from the main viewing area to get a different view of the cliffs when I noticed the two Razorbills on a ledge about 40 feet below me. You are so attuned to the Gannets you tend to miss the other species in the area.

The sharp hooked upper mandible is well suited to grasping fish and other marine invertibrates and is also a fearsome weapon enabling itself to defend against predators. They are often seen floating in the sea in great rafts. They breed on protected rock crevices and both parent share the incubation.