In "Aldar, a Puffin's Tale", readers embark on a gripping journey through the life of Aldar, an Atlantic Puffin, as he navigates the challenges of the natural world and confronts the profound impact of human activities on his species.
The tale of this one puffin is interspersed with a wealth of information on the natural history of puffins and their place in the world of seabirds. Together they make for an informative, emotional, tear-jerking, heartstopping read. Illustrated throughout with original artworks and the author's own stunning photographs the book is highly readable and will grace any library of animal natural history and fiction.
To begin this animal adventure we eavesdrop on the daring leap of the fledgling Aldar from the cliffs of Flamborough. He leaps into the air with the waves crashing onto the jagged rocks below him but this is also a leap into the unknown, setting the stage for a life fraught with peril and resilience. As Aldar matures, he weathers the North Sea's fury, faces hunger and is hunted, trapped, battered by winter storms and more. He has his first encounter with the entity which he will revisit several times at critical moments in his life.
Returning to his birthplace he will meet the love of his life only to face tragic loss and further trials.
"Aldar, a Puffin's Tale" weaves fiction and factual information seamlessly, offering readers a unique and emotionally resonant exploration of puffin life and the pressing need for environmental conservation.
Weaving through the story of Aldar the book contains details of the natural history of puffins. It begins with a detailed description of the birds, in both breeding and non breeding colours, along with their place in our culture and environment. Further chapters cover puffin flight, migrations of both juveniles and adults, courtship and breeding behaviour as well as nesting and chick rearing. Finally several chapters look at threats to puffins both natural and man made or induced. These include kleptoparasitism, predation, human hunting, pollution and, of course, climate change.
This unique combination of fiction and natural history makes "Aldar, a Puffin's Tale" a remarkable contribution to the lexicon of ornithological natural history.
