Severe winter takes toll on Farne Islands seabirds as annual census reveals mixed fortunes

Annual bird counts on the Farne Islands have revealed mixed fortunes for the internationally important seabird colonies, with declines recorded among puffins and several other species following an exceptionally difficult winter in the north Atlantic.

This year's count by National Trust rangers recorded declines in several species. European shags recorded one of the steepest declines, falling 42% from 96 to 56 breeding pairs. Arctic terns fell 27%, from 519 to 377 breeding pairs, northern fulmars declined 21%, from 235 to 186 breeding pairs, and common guillemots fell 11%, from 44,059 to 39,059 individuals.

The Atlantic puffin, one of the species most affected by conditions at sea during the winter months and for which the islands are best known, saw breeding pairs fall by 12%, from 38,559 to 33,939. Longer-term monitoring also points to a downward trend, with the population declining by 22.8% since 2018 despite some year-to-year fluctuations. Similar declines have also been recorded at neighbouring puffin colonies, suggesting the pressures facing puffins extend beyond the Farne Islands.

The declines in some of the islands' seabird colonies follow an exceptionally difficult winter for seabirds in the North Atlantic, when three severe storms contributed to a major seabird "wreck". More than 38,000 seabirds were stranded along the Atlantic coasts of Spain, Portugal and France, while hundreds of puffins washed ashore in south-west England, in what was reported as Europe's largest seabird wreck since 2014.

The scale of the event highlights the vulnerability of seabirds to severe weather at a time when climate change is increasing the likelihood and intensity of some weather extremes. With a significant El Niño developing this year, the possibility of more unsettled winter conditions could bring further challenges for seabirds already facing a range of pressures.

Sophia Jackson-Chaytor, Senior Ranger for the National Trust on the Farne Islands said "Puffins and shags are both particularly vulnerable to severe winter weather, but for different reasons. Puffins spend much of the winter far out at sea, where repeated storms and rough conditions can make it harder to find food and increase the energy they need simply to survive.

"Shags stay closer to the coast and their feathers aren't fully waterproof, which helps them dive for food but means they need to regularly return to land to dry out. Prolonged periods of wet and stormy weather can therefore be particularly challenging for them.

"When severe storms come one after another there can be very little respite. The number of birds returning to the Farnes each spring reveals much more about their lives than what has happened here on the islands. We're also seeing the consequences of conditions they've encountered at sea throughout the winter."

While the census points to the challenges puffins faced over the winter, there were also encouraging signs once the birds returned to breed. Productivity, which measures the average number of chicks successfully fledged per occupied burrow, increased to 0.89 in 2026, up from 0.78 in 2025 and 0.51 in 2024. Rangers monitored 132 burrows across Brownsman and Inner Farne, indicating that breeding success continued to improve despite the fall in breeding pairs.

While many of the pressures affecting puffins occur far beyond the islands, improved breeding success shows that conservation work on the Farnes can still make a difference. National Trust rangers are continuing a programme of long-term monitoring, habitat management and research designed to better understand the pressures facing the birds and improve breeding conditions across the islands. Alongside productivity monitoring on Brownsman and Inner Farne, rangers carry out feeding surveys and manage vegetation to maintain suitable nesting habitat.

Rangers are also investigating the impact of grey seals on puffin nesting areas, including research comparing soil density in areas heavily used by seals with those occupied by puffins. On parts of Inner Farne, patrols, scarecrows, and sound-based deterrents are used to discourage seals from moving across sensitive breeding areas and disturbing or compacting burrows.

Sophia added: "Puffins spend most of their lives out at sea, so when they return to the Farnes to breed, we want to do everything we can to give them the best possible chance.

"Interestingly, while puffin numbers declined across the Farnes overall this year, Inner Farne bucked the trend, increasing slightly from around 20,000 to 20,323 breeding pairs. We're looking closely at why puffins appear to be doing better there, including differences in their nesting habitat.

"If we can understand what is making some areas more resilient for puffins, we can use that knowledge to help protect and manage their breeding habitat across the islands in future."

The storms are the latest in a series of challenges facing seabirds in recent years. Avian influenza took a heavy toll on colonies in 2022 and 2023, while changes in the availability and distribution of key food sources such as sandeels can affect birds' ability to breed successfully.

However, there were some species that had a more positive year. Black-headed gull numbers increased by 55%, from 128 to 198 pairs, continuing their recovery after populations were badly affected by avian influenza in 2022. Their recovery could also have wider benefits for some of the Farnes' smaller breeding birds, including Sandwich and common terns, which have declined in recent years. This is, because the black-headed gull colonies can provide protection from larger predatory gulls, creating safer nesting areas for smaller species giving the Rangers hope that the growing black-headed gull colony could help support the recovery of these species over time.

There were other encouraging signs too. Razorbill numbers increased by 17%, from 408 to 478 pairs. Rangers also recorded four gadwall nests – yet another positive sign - following the species' first-ever breeding record on the Farne Islands in 2024 and no nests in 2025.

Professor Chris Redfern of Newcastle University, who reviews and validates the seabird data said: “These are challenging times for the Farnes' breeding seabirds. Arctic terns have declined again and are now at their lowest level across Northumberland for 50 years. They remain the only tern species nesting on the islands in significant numbers.

"Many of the pressures affecting seabirds originate far beyond the Farnes themselves. Human activity influences the marine environment at global, national and local scales, and human-driven changes to that environment, combined with disease and extreme weather, are likely contributing to declines in some breeding species.

"The long-term monitoring carried out by National Trust rangers is vital. It helps us understand how seabird populations are changing over time, identify possible causes and inform the conservation work needed to protect the remarkable diversity of birds that breed on the islands.

"Visitors to Inner Farne also play an important role. Their support helps fund conservation work, while their presence within the colony can help deter some predators during the breeding season."

Ben McCarthy, Head of Nature Conservation at the National Trust, said “The Farne Islands are one of the UK's most important seabird sanctuaries, so the trends we're seeing here matter far beyond Northumberland.

"This year's census highlights the growing pressures facing seabirds and how those pressures can combine, making populations less resilient to future challenges.

"At the same time, improved puffin breeding success and the recovery of black-headed gulls show that nature can respond positively when conditions improve. That's why long-term conservation matters, helping ensure the Farne Islands remain one of the UK's most important seabird sanctuaries for generations to come.”

The Farne Islands, around 1.5 miles off the Northumberland coast, form an internationally important National Nature Reserve and welcomes around 200,000 seabirds each summer, including puffins, Arctic terns, guillemots and kittiwakes.   During the winter it is also home to a significant colony of grey seals who return each year to pup.  The National Trust has cared for the islands and their wildlife for more than a century.

For more information on the Farne Islands and the species that live and migrate there, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/farne-islands