Off the coast of Northumberland, the Farne Islands have just welcomed back the first puffins of the year. They return ashore to breed in spring, having spent the autumn and winter far out at sea. Before returning to land, puffins will gather in floating groups called rafts, which will offer protection from the harsh sea conditions and provide opportunities to meet a mate.
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They return to their nesting grounds in April, and will usually leave by the end of July or early August.
This is perfect timing for visitors to the Farne Islands (some of the best islands to visit in the UK), who are welcomed back from 1 April. 2025 marks 100 years since the National Trust took the 28-island archipelago into its care, protecting this National Nature Reserve for future generations and the 200,000 seabirds it is home to, including puffins, Arctic terns and kittiwakes.
The Farnes were hit hard by an influx of bird flu in 2022 and 2023, with rangers collecting nearly 10,000 dead birds and the Trust forced to close the islands to visitors. In 2024, the islands were announced as finally being clear of bird flu, with some hope that immunity is building within the colony of seabirds.
Top image: Puffin (Fratercula arctica) pair standing near their nest burrow on clifftop grassland, Inner Farne, Northumberland (credit: National Trust)
