The National Trust has revived its popular 'puffin cam', offering nature enthusiasts a unique bird's eye view of the Farne Islands as seabirds return for the breeding season. The live stream, which attracted over a quarter of a million views last year, provides an intimate look at the lives of the 200,000 seabirds that inhabit this Northumberland nature reserve.
Two Cameras, Two Species
In addition to the puffin-focused camera, a second live feed is trained on guillemots that roost and nest on the islands' cliffs. This dual-camera setup allows viewers to observe different aspects of seabird behaviour during the critical breeding period.
Public Engagement and Conservation
Laura Knowles, visitor operations manager for the National Trust, expressed enthusiasm about the return of the puffin cam. 'The breeding season is always a special time of year as our ranger teams gear up to monitor the birds daily over the spring and summer months. We're thrilled to bring puffin cam back for a second season. Last year the live cams attracted over a quarter of a million views, and we were overwhelmed by the incredible messages from people across the world who tuned in to watch the puffins go about their daily lives. It was wonderful to see how deeply the live stream connected viewers to the Farnes, especially those who may never have the chance to visit in person.'
Monitoring Bird Flu and Storm Impact
Rangers are scheduled to conduct bird counts next month to assess how various species have fared following the bird flu outbreaks that severely impacted colonies in 2022 and 2023, as well as a series of storms earlier this year. They will also monitor puffins ringed last year to evaluate survival rates and track individual birds.
Sophia Jackson, area ranger for the National Trust on the Farne Islands, noted: 'We've been closely monitoring the impact of bird flu as part of international research into the disease. In 2022 we recorded over 6,000 dead birds, and more than 3,500 in 2023. Comparing that to fewer than 10 in 2025 suggests things may be improving, but we can never let our guard down.'
Climate Change and Extreme Weather
Ben McCarthy, head of nature conservation at the National Trust, highlighted the broader environmental challenges. Storms Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra caused 'floods and devastation for both humans and wildlife' along the Atlantic coast of the UK and Europe earlier this year. 'Long-term monitoring collected through the Seabird Monitoring Programme clearly demonstrates the impact of such stormy weather on seabird's ability to feed, with resulting loss in condition and, in worst case scenarios, so called 'wrecks' where birds are washed ashore dead or dying. We don't yet know what this means for the puffin and other seabirds which are returning to breed on the Farnes this year, but this makes these counts even more important when put in context with the more extreme weather our wildlife is also battling against due to climate change,' he said.
The National Trust has also reopened the Farne Islands for the season, with visitor boats now landing on the islands. Viewers can watch the live stream at the National Trust's website.
