Puffin Cam returns to Farne Islands
Tune in to this year’s puffin picture show. Tony Henderson reports
A Northumberland puffin picture show which attracted a worldwide audience last year is to be re-run this summer.
The National Trust has once again switched on its live, remote cameras on the Farne Islands.
Streaming from www.nationaltrust.org.uk, the footage offers viewers a front-row seat to the antics and everyday lives of the birds as the breeding season begins.
Another species taking a starring role on the live camera feeds will be the guillemots, with another camera trained to capture their activities on the cliffs where they roost and nest.
Last year the live cams attracted over a quarter of a million views.
The Farne Islands - an internationally important National Nature Reserve off the Northumberland coast - are home to around 200,000 seabirds, including puffins, Arctic terns, guillemots and kittiwakes.
The islands have just re-opened for the season with visitor boats now landing.
Laura Knowles, visitor operations manager for the National Trust, said: “We’re thrilled to bring Puffin Cam back for a second season. Last year 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. Puffin Cam is a simple but powerful way to share the magic of Farne Islands wildlife with everyone, wherever they are.
“We’re also thrilled to be welcoming visitors back to the islands, and sail-around tours will also continue for people who prefer to experience the magic of the islands from the water.”
In June the puffins will be going on a mini-tour of city centres through the National Trust’s Window to the Wild project, making appearances in city centres including Newcastle, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast and Bristol as part of the Festival of Nature.
After being hit hard by avian influenza in 2022 and 2023 - when rangers collected nearly 10,000 dead birds across the two years - the islands saw fewer than 10 confirmed cases during 2025, giving cautious hope that immunity is strengthening within the colonies.
Sophia Jackson, area ranger for the National Trust on the Farne Islands, said: “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.
“We’ll be completing our annual seabird counts in June, which will also help us understand the impact of the recent seabird wreck following winter storms.”
The charity will also be monitoring puffins fitted with tags last year as part of its colour-ringing programme to better understand puffin survival and movement.
Area ranger Tom Hendry said: “Last year we fitted a number of puffins with blue colour rings, and we’re encouraging visitors to look out for them on Inner Farne and report any sightings. This helps us assess survival rates and track how the birds are faring year to year.”
Ben McCarthy, head of nature conservation at the National Trust, said: “The stormy start to the year with storms Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra caused floods and devastation for both humans and wildlife. The series of storms battered the Atlantic coast of the UK and Europe.
“Long-term monitoring collected through the Seabird Monitoring Programme clearly demonstrates the impact of such stormy weather on seabirds’ 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 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.”
For more information on planning a visit to the Farne Islands, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/farne-islands.