A Circus of Puffins

I have loved puffins ever since I first saw them for real on the coastline of Wales. The collective noun of a group of puffins can be raft,burrow, impossibility or circus. I like circus because watching puffins is such fun. They are not magnificent like an eagle, incredible like a hummingbird, or awe inspiring like the long distance flyers such as the Arctic Tern. I love them simply because they make me smile. They add colour and life, character and meaning to many wild spots. They are very communicative birds and do so by the way they move, walk and rub bills. In creating them it seems to me that God said that in all things there must be fun and laughter as well as seriousness. I love God for not having overlooked the need of man for lightness of heart during our journey here.

The last few days have been bad for me. I have had a migraine from hell again. Three days of solid pain in my eyes and head like a knife is being stabbed and twisted repeatedly into it. I still have it. These days of pain I endure so frequently can be overwhelming; exhausting, depressing, hopeless. But into the midst of our sorrow there is always a light. Something else to fix our thoughts on whilst we struggle through. Puffins are for me one of those things. Anytime anyone mentions puffins that part of me that is still in love with life despite how small my life is wakes up and shouts, 'Here I am! Yes, tell me about the puffins'

Baby puffins are called pufflings...of course. Doesn't the name alone make you smile?

For everything there is a season and a  time to every purpose under heaven...a time to weep and a time to laugh. Ecl 3:1 & 4

For some fun facts about these delightful birds:

http://projectpuffin.audubon.org/birds/puffin-faqs