21 April, 2015
Puffins now nesting on the Isle of May
The first puffin eggs of the season have been laid on the Isle of May National Nature Reserve.
The calm weather and mild start to spring has encouraged good numbers of seabirds to return to the Isle of May early and a number of bird species are now incubating eggs. Having returned from their wintering quarters in the North Atlantic, puffins have settled in their thousands on the island. The first eggs were discovered on Sunday 19 April.
David Steel, Scottish Natural Heritage Reserve Manager, said: “We are delighted to have welcomed thousands of puffins back to the isle and to find that the weather has encouraged early nesting. It was exciting to find our first eggs on Sunday.
“The birds returned to the island ahead of time and have been spring cleaning their burrows over the last few weeks, so we have been expecting an early start.”
Puffins lay a single egg at the end of an underground nest burrow and will sit on it for 40 days. The first chicks should start hatching in late May.
David added: “Once the chicks hatch there is a lot of frantic activity as the parents will be feeding the chick until it fledges in early July.”
The Isle of May supports one of the biggest puffin populations in the UK with 46,200 pairs nesting. It is hoped this year will see a repeat of the successful breeding seasons of recent years.
ENDS
For media enquiries contact Nancy Fraser, SNH media & public relations officer on 0141 951 0809 / 0141 951 4488 or nancy.fraser@snh.gov.uk
The Isle of May is open to visitors from 1 April - 31 September
It’s free to visit the nature reserve, but you must take a boat trip to reach the island. Sailings are on the privately-run May Princess or Osprey of Anstruther from the Anstruther Harbour or through the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick.
Anstruther - for tickets and details, see www.isleofmayferry.com (May Princess) or www.isleofmayboattrips.co.uk (RIB Osprey).
North Berwick - for tickets and details, book online on the Scottish Seabird Centre website at www.seabird.org or call 01620 890202.
Known locally as 'The May', this small island sits on the edge of the Firth of Forth. The island's importance for seabirds has drawn scientists to its shores for many years and the May is home to the oldest continuously running bird observatory in the UK. The May is also a regular haunt for grey seals, often seen lounging on the shoreline rocks. This island is a historical gem and it's been a place of pilgrimage for centuries with an early island monastery. The May was also the site of Scotland's very first lighthouse, built in 1636, while the current, castle-like lighthouse was designed by the engineer Robert Stevenson.
The island is one of more than 50 national nature reserves in Scotland. These are special places that look after some of the best of Scotland’s nature on behalf of everyone who lives or visits Scotland, and they provide unique opportunities to visit, enjoy and learn more about Scotland’s nature. For more information, see www.nnr-scotland.org.uk
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NatureScot is Scotland's nature agency. We work to enhance our natural environment in Scotland and inspire everyone to care more about it. Our priority is a nature-rich future for Scotland and an effective response to the climate emergency. For more information, visit our website at www.nature.scot or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nature_scot
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