PREVIEW

The Big Puffin Count Of 2025 Begins On The Farne Islands. The 2025 puffin count is underway on the Farne Islands as conservationists from the National Trust aim to tot them up among 200,000 seabirds. This year The National Trust marks its 100th year of caring for the internationally important sanctuary. It is vitally important given the islands' three seasons of closure between 2020 until 2024's count due to Covid-19 and then bird flu. The 28 islands are a safe haven for the birds thanks to its location 1.5 miles off the coast of Northumberland. They provide the ideal habitats for 23 species of seabirds, as well as being an important stop-off point for a host of migratory birds from long eared owls to blue throats and ring ouzels. To help monitor the puffins and to gain further insights into these 'clowns of the sea', the team is introducing a new way to track the birds using coloured rings. Staff will be able to follow the puffins over years and see how long they are living, as well as their travels to other colonies.