Our Deluxe Atlantic Puffin Workshops this season on L’Île aux Perroquets were nothing short of extraordinary. While the charismatic Atlantic Puffins—with their clownish faces and endearing waddles—were unquestionably the stars of the show, nature surprised us with a truly rare and remarkable sighting on August 12th: a Tennessee Warbler.
These dainty, high-energy migrants are typically forest dwellers, preferring to pass quietly through dense, mature woodlands during their journey south. To see one perched amidst the windswept, treeless beauty of this tiny Gulf of St. Lawrence island was a thrilling anomaly—one that underscored just how dynamic and unpredictable birding can be during the early, late summer migration.
Of course, the puffins gave us plenty of heart-stirring moments as well. Late summer offers a unique chance to photograph these seabirds in soft golden light, with fewer crowds and a richer palette of coastal hues. Paired with gourmet meals, cozy lighthouse accommodations, and world-class instruction, it's no wonder our 2025 workshops are already filling quickly.
If you've been dreaming of capturing puffins up close—or the chance of witnessing surprising migration moments like this warbler—we invite you to join us next year. Spots are limited, and with sightings like these, they won't last long.
👉 Reserve your place now for the 2026 Deluxe Atlantic Puffin Workshops—and let nature astonish you.
Tennessee Warbler in Flight (Leiothlypis peregrina, Paruline obscure, Leiothlypis peregrina, TEWA) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop, Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 Mark III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm. ISO 3,200, f/8 @ 1/6,400s Manual exposure. Full frame image.
My Deluxe Puffin workshop with Christopher Dodds; Aug 1-4 2025
Chris Dodds is an excellent photographic guide for his annual Puffin photographic workshops. The experience he provides is enjoyable, productive and highly instructive. The travel details, meals and accommodations are extremely well managed. The location is ideal for photographing these adorable birds, providing hundreds of puffins for both still and inflight photos.
After this trip I would have complete confidence joining any of Chris’s expeditions, anywhere in the world.
Photography is of course the critical element of the trip and with Chris’s help I learned a lot about how to be a more effective wildlife photographer. Chris held well-explained overviews group discussions on setting up for best results. Once shooting, he spends time with each participant one-on-one. This was especially helpful for my wife, who has been transformed into an enthusiastic photographer after this short excursion.
An important aspect of a trip success is that Chris is clearly well-respected and well-liked by the local community supporting us on this trip. That really helps everything go smoothly. This was my first photographic workshop. There WILL be more, we are already looking into future Chris Dodds workshops.
Bill MacMillan Cary | NC | USA
