Latest news with #FarneIslands
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Farne Island 'puffin cam' attracts thousands of viewers
A webcam allowing people to spy on puffins has garnered tens of thousands of National Trust has set up cameras near puffin burrows and clifftops on the Farne Islands, off the coast of ranger James Porteus said viewers were "loving it" and that it was helping to end unequal access to said people were able to witness some "really amazing behaviour up close" and told viewers to keep an eye out for pufflings - baby puffins - leaving their burrows at dusk, previously rarely seen as visiting hours on the remote islands are restricted. The Farne Islands are a National Nature Reserve in England and an internationally important home to approximately 200,000 Porteus said viewers had seen puffins bringing fish into their burrows, opportunistic gulls trying to steal the catch, and "amazing sunsets" on the north-west facing camera."There's always something to watch," he said. Puffins have been facing growing threats including climate change, Mr Porteus said."They're a species that need our help," he manager for the Northumberland coast Daniel Wilson said the cameras were solar battery powered and look like a blended piece of were set up to capture the 2025 breeding season and were installed just before the first seabirds Wilson, who has been with the trust for about 20 years, said seeing the huge team project come to fruition was "incredibly rewarding".In the first three weeks of operation, the main puffin camera reached 90,700 views and the average watch-time is about five was an average of 25 people watching at any one time, the National Trust team said it intended to keep the stream going until at least the end of June. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- BBC News
Killer whales spotted hunting Farne Islands grey seals
A family of killer whales has been seen hunting seals near the Farne pod of orcas were spotted on Sunday by passengers onboard a tourist boat travelling around the islands off the Northumberland Shiel, who runs the boat company, said he saw the orcas flip a seal out of the water and believes they were teaching their calves how to hunt."They were by the islands and they were feeding on the grey seals, which I guess is not a pretty sight," he said. "But the seals on the islands are at record numbers now and those are their predators. "I guess it's one way of controlling their numbers." Mr Shiel, 52, said he has worked on the boats since he was 16 but had only seen the orcas twice before and each sighting was in time there were between six and eight, including about four Shiel said a Tyneside family had joined them on the boat and told him they had recently booked a trip to Iceland to try and view orcas."They've looked for killer whales all their lives, so they were over the moon," he said. The Farne Islands are home to one of the biggest colonies of grey seals on the east coast of of grey seals live in the area and about 3,000 pups are born each Shiel said the strength of the seal colony might lead to more encounters with orcas in the future."I've got a feeling we might start to see this a little bit more often because they've probably got a taste for it and there's a good food source for them there," he said"I've got a sneaky feeling we'll start see them a little bit more regularly." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Times
14-05-2025
- General
- Times
The way to get the measure of puffins — pop them in a jug
Elegant is not the first adjective one reaches for to describe the stubby, loveable puffin. Even so, there is something particularly undignified about the poor creature being placed headfirst into a plastic measuring jug. The birds on the Farne Islands, off the Northumberland coast, are not being subjected to a cruel prank, however, but being weighed as part of the National Trust's annual puffin count. The archipelago, an internationally important sanctuary for about 200,000 seabirds that come to the same spot each year to breed, has been under the conservation charity's care for exactly a century. In that time, rangers have worked out the best way to handle the puffins who, after long winters spent rafting on open seas, return to their burrows each spring
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Daily Mail
How many rangers does it take to weigh a puffin? Sweet snaps show birds as they're set to become 'internet sensations'
Lights, scales? While they may not realise they are on their way to stardom, rare seabirds have been weighed and assessed by National Trust rangers ahead of their internet debut as the annual puffin count gets underway. Webcams have been set up on the Farne Islands, just off the Northumberland coast, so that more people can become seabird 'watchers'. The hope is that this insight will help Brits 'realise just how special these wild isles are, and how we must do all we can to ensure these islands and bird species have a long and healthy future ahead'. The 28-island strong archipelago (depending on the tide) is only accessible to visitors by boat from Seahouses but is home to 23 species of seabirds. Human visitor numbers have been restricted in recent years, firstly by the Covid lockdown and then by avian flu which badly affected some species. To mark the centenary of the National Trust taking over the wildlife haven, keen ornithologists and budding twitchers alike will be allowed in to see the isolated lives on this secluded environment online. One camera will be trained on the puffin burrows and one on the cliffs where some of the 200,000 seabirds gather every year to breed. Area ranger Sophia Jackson said: 'In this significant year we want more people to become 'watchers' of this annual spectacle to have a window into this unique world. 'We hope by seeing the birds, people will be inspired to visit in person one day, but also to realise just how special these wild isles are, and how we must do all we can to ensure these islands and bird species have a long and healthy future ahead.' She stressed the importance of tracking bird populations to keep conservation data up to date and informing scientists on the right steps for their future. The trust has been monitoring seabird numbers since the 1950s with the data used to direct conservation work after they took over ownership in 1925 from the Farne Islands Association. Ms Jackson added that it was helpful 'for keeping track of the impacts of climate change through warming seas and more frequent storms'. 'Warming sea temperatures and the availability of the seabirds' food sources, as in different sorts of fish moving further northwards to find cooler temperatures, also means that the birds are expending more energy to seek out the food, and also spending more time away from the nest resulting in starvation or abandonment of young chicks.' Around 45,000 people visit the Farne islands on boat trips every year to take in views of up to 23 species, including 43,000 puffin pairs, as well as a large colony of grey seals Regarding the next 100 years, the ranger said: 'We are doing the best we can to ensure all our seabirds have a bright future. 'But climate change, especially its impact on the severity of winter storms, and extreme weather events are the biggest threats facing both our seabirds and seal populations. 'Summer storms resulting in heavy rain at the wrong time of year can flood puffin burrows on the islands, as well as impacting how the birds fare when on their migrating routes.' Winter storms can also wash seal pups off the rocks and several pups died when Storm Arwen hit the islands in 2021, she said.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Telegraph
Farne Island puffins ‘may not survive the next century'
Seabirds on the Farne Islands, including puffins, may not survive the next century. Sophia Jackson, an area ranger, warned that climate change and extreme weather 'are the biggest threats facing both our seabirds and seal populations'. It comes as the National Trust sets up two webcams so visitors can watch the seabird breeding season to mark the centenary of the charity taking over the islands off the Northumberland coast. One will be trained on the puffin burrows and one on the cliffs where some of the 200,000 seabirds gather every year to breed. National Trust rangers will carry out the annual puffin count to monitor the number of breeding pairs. The wildlife haven, accessible to visitors by boat from Seahouses, is made up of as many as 28 islands depending on the tide and is home to 23 species of seabirds. Visitor numbers have been restricted in recent years, firstly by the Covid lockdown and then by avian flu which badly affected some species. The webcams will allow even more people to experience the birds' bustling lives on the islands. Regarding the next 100 years, Ms Jackson said: 'We are doing the best we can to ensure all our seabirds have a bright future. 'But climate change, especially its impact on the severity of winter storms, and extreme weather events are the biggest threats facing both our seabirds and seal populations. 'Summer storms resulting in heavy rain at the wrong time of year can flood puffin burrows on the islands, as well as impacting how the birds fare when on their migrating routes. 'Winter storms can also wash seal pups off the rocks and several pups perished when Storm Arwen hit the islands in 2021. ' Warming sea temperatures and the availability of the seabirds' food sources, as in different sorts of fish moving further northwards to find cooler temperatures, also means that the birds are expending more energy to seek out the food, and also spending more time away from the nest resulting in starvation or abandonment of young chicks.' She added: 'In this significant year we want more people to become 'watchers' of this annual spectacle to have a window into this unique world. 'We hope by seeing the birds, people will be inspired to visit in person one day, but also to realise just how special these wild isles are, and how we must do all we can to ensure these islands and bird species have a long and healthy future ahead.' The National Trust took over ownership in 1925 from the Farne Islands Association and it has been monitoring seabird numbers since the 1950s with the data used to direct conservation work Ms Jackson said: 'Looking back on the records for the different populations, it is very clear how important regular monitoring of the different seabird populations has been – despite different methodologies – for informing our conservation work on the islands, but also for keeping track of the impacts of climate change through warming seas and more frequent storms.'
