PREVIEW

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Puffins battered by the winter’s stormy weather are making their way back into the wild after some tender love and care.

The wayward birds were treated at a specialist RSPCA wildlife centre after they washed up on West Country beaches in January and February.

The unusual guests were welcomed by the team at RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre, near Taunton, where they spent time putting on weight ready to return to the sea.

Kayla Terry, centre manager at RSPCA West Hatch, said “We had the privilege of assisting in the rehabilitation of several puffins. Storms left seabirds exhausted and unable to feed, which included many puffins that washed up on Cornish beaches. The puffins were rescued from several areas and after initial assessment at vets they were transferred to a local rehabber who provided care until they were able to be transferred to our centre.”

During their time at the centre the puffins were treated to a diet of fish, and washed before going into seabird pool at the specialist RSPCA centre where the team continued to assess their conditions and behaviours to make sure they are waterproof enough for release.

Kayla added: “When seabirds have time in rehab it’s common for their feathers to become contaminated due to not spending time on water, not preening and also all of the necessary handling that is required for feeding, weighing, cleaning out and veterinary treatment.

“We have to ensure their feathers are fully waterproof and free from contaminants by washing them, as shown in the photos. This is super important for the successful release of these pelagic birds that spend the majority of their life at sea, only coming in-land to rear their chicks.”

Once ready, they were taken to a private beach in North Devon where they finally returned to the wild. They were placed on the calm waves where they took a minute to get their bearings and regroup, before swimming off into the distance.

Kayla added: “It’s great to see them go back to where they belong just in time, it makes everything we do so worthwhile. Puffins are pelagic, meaning they spend the majority of their life at sea. This is where food sources are more abundant and it avoids the need to defend nesting sites. They spend eight months of the year, September to March, floating on the Atlantic Ocean without touching land until breeding season begins in spring. This means that our puffins will just have a short period of time left at sea before they return back to land for breeding.”

Puffins are one of Britain’s most charismatic birds. They are members of the auk family, like guillemots, but are much smaller - around the same size as a pigeon. In summer, adults are easily recognised by their colourful parrot-like bill. They nest in colonies, rearing their young in underground burrows.


The young birds then go to sea when they fledge, not returning to the colony for at least two years.

Adult birds will also start leaving the colony when their offspring have fledged to spend the winter at sea before coming to the UK’s shores in spring and summer to breed.

The puffins are just some of the thousands of wild animals who are admitted to the charity’s four wildlife centres each year, including those left sick, orphaned, or injured by everyday hazards such as netting entanglement or strimmers.