Black-legged Kittiwakes are small Gulls that nest in colonies on ocean side cliff ledges. At Cape St Mary's there are some 10,000 nesting pairs of B-l Kittiwakes. Following are five images giving an overview of their colonies and their neighbours, the Gannets, the Murres, the Razorbills and the Guilemots. (Note, at Cape St Mary's we were not able to see Guilemots as the 60 some odd pair that nest there are reportedly nesting at an inaccessible cliff.

Top image: An unaltered photo, taken in the fog, providing a global view of the colonies of sea birds at Cape St Mary's.


Top image as modified in Photoshop to more clearly show the cliffs and ledges. Note also the dots on the water below. They are primarily Common Murres.


Crop of # 2 above to more clearly show the ledges and the many nesting birds. Sure resembles a stack of avian high-rise apartment.


Closer crop to more clearly show areas of nesting Kittiwakes.


Image showing an area of nesting Kittiwakes on the vertical cliff ledges below the penthouse suites occupied by the much larger Northern Gannets.