Puffins counted on Farne Islands

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This video from Britain says about itself:

Puffin-cam: Live from the burrow

May 17, 2013

The very first National Trust “Puffin Cams” have now been installed in the Farne Islands puffin breeding colony off the coast of Northumberland. The cameras will record highlights throughout the breeding season, charting the ups and downs of these plucky little birds. See how the cameras were installed and find out what it means for the future of the Farnes colony. For all the latest updates, follow @NTsteely, Tweet #puffincensus or check out our web pages at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/northeast.

From Wildlife Extra:

Puffin count starts on Farne Islands

5 yearly census underway

May 2013. A Puffin census has begun at the north east’s most amazing wildlife habitat, the windswept Farne Islands, as National Trust rangers attempt to find how many breeding pairs of these iconic birds live on the Islands.

Every 5 years

The census takes place every five years and records date back to 1939 when 3,000 breeding pairs were recorded.

2008 showed first decine

Until 2008, each survey since the census began 65 years ago showed a steady increase in pairs of puffins on the Farne Islands, but the last count indicated numbers had fallen by a third. The 2008 survey recorded 36,500 pairs of puffins across eight islands compared to 55,674 pairs living on the Islands in the 2003 census.

How to count a puffin

This spring and summer a team of eleven National Trust rangers will be travelling between eight of the Farne Islands to carry out the mammoth task of counting every single bird. Puffins nest underground in burrows, which means the rangers will have to put their arms into the holes to make sure that the nests are occupied during the comprehensive count.

David Steel, Head Ranger for the Farne Islands told us: “We’ve been monitoring a small section of the Farnes every year since the last census in 2008 and have seen a small increase in numbers in this area. We’re hoping to see an increase overall numbers this year but you can’t tell after the winter we’ve just had.”

Puffin factors

Factors for why the Puffins continue to flourish on the Farne Islands include better protection, good sources of food and a lack of ground predators and the availability of suitable nesting areas. However rangers on the Farne Islands fear that the extreme colds weather this winter which has led to a higher than average mortality rate may affect numbers.

Coldest March since 1962 – Could impact breeding

David Steel continued: “This March was the coldest on record since 1962 and this could impact on breeding numbers. The extreme winds affected the puffin’s ability to feed as they made their way back to their summer breeding grounds. It will be interesting to see the results of the puffin census which we will have available to share in July.”

Nest cameras

For the first time, nest cameras have been inserted into puffin burrows to record the birds’ behaviour in intimate detail.

Puffin census on Farne Islands shows numbers rising: here.

Atlantic puffin population is in danger, scientists warn: here.

Fane Islands and Scotland bird photography: here.

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