Hi Mark,
Be aware that Puffins leave the land about now - they are usually all gone in
the first week of August. And they are only visible in all the furthest corners
of the UK! (Other seabirds, such as Guillemots and Razorbills, leave early in
July)
A good place to see them is on Skomer (furthest Western part of Wales) where
you can get very close but the boat trips don't run on Mondays and may be
cancelled because of the weather (this applies to most islands)(have a look at.
http://www.welshwildlife.org/). You need to be there early to guarantee getting
on a boat.
Therefore a mainland Puffin site may be better for you - e.g. Bempton Cliffs
(see RSPB web site) which is probably the most accessible Puffin site in the
country. But with only 2-3 days you are going to be racing around like a mad
thing especially if you want to do non-birdy things too. For general
birdwatching in the UK, Minsmere (RSPB) (also on the East coast but further
south) and surrounding locations (e.g. Walberswick) are a good bet with a wide
range of species, though most birds are getting a bit difficult to see by this
time of year as they have mostly finished breeding (so not much song) and are
moulting and keeping a low profile. (Ducks will all be in eclipse)
Rosemary Royle
Wales, UK
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