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Sea bird colonies are fascinating places. From May to September arrivals and departures occur all through the day and night with sounds and smells adding to the cacophony. Coronation Island, located off the coast of the Alaskan Panhandle, is one such place. Tufted and horned puffins along with common murres nest on the exposed southwest facing limestone bluffs. I visited the island three times as a naturalist tour guide during the 1990’s. We were confined to water level, exploring by zodiac, and could only see the puffins with binoculars but I was interested in portraying their world from their vantage point. Tufted puffins with their vividly coloured beaks and handsome head plumes are a must for any bird painter. The almost abstract patterns of the churning sea when viewed from above were also a feature I wanted to explore.
