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News

Puffins (July 04)Wardens at the RSPB's Coquet Island nature reserve in Northumberland breathed a sigh of relief as thousands of puffins returned to their nesting burrows this year. Click the photograph (left) to find out how you can help towards the RSPB's vital conservation work.

Just a week prior to their arrival, there were less than 100 puffins on the 14 acre island, compared to 18,700 pairs last year. But the puffins made a big return to the island and a count carried out by the RSPB found that an estimated 22,500 birds were back on the island.

RSPB warden, Paul Morrison, said: It is fantastic to see so many puffins back on Coquet Island. Normally the island is full of thousands of these colourful birds by mid May' but only a few birds had settled back on the island.

It is very unusual for the puffins to return so late, and we don't know yet what the implications are for their breeding success. We just hope that it will now be business as usual for the puffins, as we know that many of the birds are now incubating eggs.

It is fantastic to see so many puffins back on Coquet. The survey showed that we are still a few thousand puffins down on last years record breeding season, but other puffin colonies elsewhere on the east coast have increased numbers, so perhaps there is a link.

However, the unexpectedly late return of the puffins to Coquet was good news for the organisers of the boat trips that take visitors around the island. Normally by July and August when most holiday-makers visit Northumberland, most of the puffins have already have left the island for a life on the ocean waves, but this year they were still around to delight the summer day-trippers.

Puffins first nested on Coquet as recently as 1966 and their numbers have been on the increase ever since. Coquet is also an important breeding site for many other species of seabirds, especially the rare roseate tern. More than 75% of the entire UK population of roseate terns nest on Coquet Island, making the island of international importance for these birds. Top

Roseate Terns The number of roseate tern pairs in the UK increased from 58 pairs in 2001 and 69 in 2002 to 95-99 in 2003.
The RSPB reserve on Coquet Island has led this resurgence with an increase from 42 pairs in 2001 to 57 pairs in 2002 and 70 pairs in 2003. This is the only UK site which regularly supports more than 10 pairs.
All the roseate tern colonies in the United Kingdom are now within existing reserves, managed by a variety of groups including the RSPB, National Trust, Scottish Wildlife Trust and some local groups. All UK breeding sites for roseate tern have been designated as Special Protection Areas.
Artificial nesting sites have been provided on an experimental basis (for example 75 nest boxes have been provided on prepared terraces on Coquet Island) to provide more nesting habitat, so that all birds of breeding age are able to breed. Vegetation management is being carried out at some sites, either to provide more cover or, on sites like Coquet and Inchmickery, to suppress tall dense vegetation.

The RSPB has previously co-funded an educational programme in Ghana to try to reduce the level of winter trapping. Further studies of trapping in Ghana have now been initiated with the Ghana Wildlife Society.
2004 News
73 pairs of Roseate Tern took to the artificial nest boxes although two were 'taken' by Puffins. These artificial sites turned out to be invaluable as many hundreds of Common and Arctic Tern chicks perished in this years wet weather. Roseate's were luckier and although 29 chicks died, the majority survived thanks to the shelter provided by the boxes. However worse news was to come as a shortage of sand eels lead to many chicks starving to death. Adult birds resorted to catching alternative food including the rather unpalatable pipe fish, which meant that only the strongest chicks survived .Wardens had to physically remove pipe fish (which can grow up to 35cm) from some of the chicks throats to stop them choking. This year, the roseate terns fledged 63 chicks, compared to 80 in 2003. the last bird departing on 1st September. Top

There is no public access or landing on Coquet Island because of the risk of disturbance to nesting birds, but boat trips sail from Amble harbour around the island. Contact David Gray on 01665 711975

The RSPB's work on the Coquet Island reserve is part of the Wildlife Guardians Scheme, which is funded by the SITA Environmental Trust through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, with the additional involvement of Scottish and Southern Energy plc. As part of a three year agreement, the Trust is providing funding of almost £100,000 to carry out the vital wardening and bird protection work required on this fabulous seabird colony.

The breeding populations of four species of nesting terns (including the rare roseate tern), puffins and many other species will all benefit, and the RSPB also have plans to develop new opportunities to interpret the wildlife of this special place. Oystercatcher nest opposite. Top