Stephen Wilkes: Day to Night – Northern Gannets, Bass Rock, Scotland 1008 Pieces

Description

36″ x 15″ Puzzle Size

Bass Rock is an uninhabited island in the north of Scotland. The island has a lighthouse, as well as a castle and a ruined chapel. During the breeding season, 150,000 gannets gather on this island in the Firth of Forth. In winter, the birds escape south, many traveling as far as West Africa.

To create this image, we set up near the ruins of the chapel, approximately six feet from the nesting birds on Bass Rock. We walked up 150 steps to reach this location! I photographed for more than 28 hours.

The terrain and the aggressive nature of the gannets, along with their copious guano, made for less-than-ideal shooting conditions. Volcanic soil and rock, which would crumble when you stepped on it, made sitting almost impossible. I was captivated by both the sight and sound of this throng of birds, roosting around us with no fear.