‘A great thrill’: baby puffin is first one seen on Dorset coast in three decades
Summary
A baby puffin was spotted for the first time in 30 years on the Dorset coast in southern England. Volunteers and scientists have been carefully watching the cliffs where puffins nest, and this sighting shows the local puffin colony is still alive.Key Facts
- The baby puffin, called a puffling, appeared on the Purbeck coast near Swanage, the last known mainland nesting site in southern England.
- In the 1950s, about 80 puffins nested there; now only a few pairs remain.
- Volunteers monitored the cliffs for 15 weeks during the summer to watch for puffins.
- Adult puffins were seen carrying fish to at least two nests, indicating more than one pair trying to raise chicks.
- The puffling was about 38 days old when photographed on July 7.
- After fledging, pufflings leave the nest and will not return for about two years or start breeding until much later.
- Researchers are using solar-powered motion-sensor cameras to learn more about puffin nesting and chick survival.
- The National Trust is investigating reasons for puffin decline, including predators and climate changes.
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