A three month puffin count on the famous Farne Islands, situated off the Northumberland coast, has begun in an effort to find how many breeding pairs of these iconic birds live on the islands.
Records for the number of breeding pairs of puffins on these windswept Islands in the North Sea date back to the 1939, when there were 3,000 breeding pairs recorded. The last survey in 2003 recorded 55,674 pairs of puffins on the islands.
This spring and summer the team of nine National Trust wardens will be travelling between the islands to survey the number of breeding puffins that can be found on the Farnes. The puffin census count happens once every five years because of the vast number of breeding pairs and the resources needed to complete the survey.
The unmistakeable puffin nests underground in burrows. This means that the wardens will have put their own arms into the holes to make sure that the nests are occupied during the comprehensive count.
Every survey since the first one 60 years ago has shown a steady increase in the number of pairs of puffins on the islands, with some nearing capacity. Factors for why the puffins continue to flourish on the Farne Islands include better protection, good sources of food, a lack of ground predators and the availability of suitable nesting areas.
David Steel, National Trust Head Warden on the Farne Islands, says,
'The Farnes are one of the most important puffin colonies in the UK. We’re optimistic that this years puffin count will show that we have a healthy population of birds and that their numbers are continuing to grow as a result of our work to give them a high quality habitat to breed.'
The wardens carry out the survey in accordance with the national guidelines on counting puffins. Results from the survey will be published in July 2008.
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