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Ganet flying by Josh Jaggard

Gannet - Morus bassanus

Gannet - Morus bassanus

Shetland is home to two amazing gannet colonies; Hermaness and Noss. With many seabirds struggling in the UK, gannets seem to be doing the opposite and both colonies are growing each year. They come to these cliffs to nest during the spring and summer, creating an incredible spectacle.

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Gannets are social birds and nest in large colonies. Although social, they are still very territorial when it comes to their nest and will guard it against other gannets if they come too close. Each nest is only half a metre away, just out of pecking distance of one another. Instead of spreading all over the cliffs, the colony is fairly compact and stays very close together.

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Gannets are a great subject to use low key photography on. It's a simple technique but when used correctly can create some bold images that really stand out. All these images were taken in the day using strong sunlight and underexposing in the camera by around 2-3 stops, creating this effect. This makes anything dark go completely black and the whites exposed.