FOOTAGE of a baby puffin bred on the Copeland Islands has been captured for the first time.
The footage of the puffling was recorded by Copeland Bird Observatory, which is based on Lighthouse Island.
The seabirds, synonymous with Rathlin Island off County Antrim, are not indigenous to the uninhabited Lighthouse Island, so no population existed there until an introduction scheme was launched around 2013. The Copelands are located just north off the coast of Donaghadee
There are now around 30 breeding pairs of puffins, which arrive on the island each April.
While members and visitors have captured photographs of adult puffins carrying sand eels into burrows for the last few years, evidencing that pufflings were nearby, no images of the infant seabird had been captured until earlier this month.
A wildlife camera near their burrows captured footage of a young puffling out of its burrow, and an adult puffin bringing fish back to feed its young.
Attempts to attract puffins to Lighthouse Island included setting up fake ‘decoy’ puffins, and a solar powered speaker system broadcasting its call.
Adam Ringland of Copeland Island Bird Observatory said the puffins are thriving due to the environment.
He said: “They like the nice grassy slopes and the burrows have already been dug out for them by rabbits and Manx shearwaters, which is our star bird on the island.”
There are no people on Lighthouse Island, apart from volunteers and the occasional visitor to the bird observatory at weekends.
Adam said this has given the puffins the space to grow and breed.
Lighthouse Island is protected by the bird observatory and can only be accessed on an approved charter boat.
But he says it is important people know this conservation work is happening, with declines in some sea bird populations.
“They (puffins) are such important regulators of the eco- system, from keeping fish stocks under control to fertilising the land and of course people just love puffins,” said Adam.
“They get such a buzz out of seeing these birds – it’s such an important thing for our mental health, it connects us to nature, and helps us understand we need to protect nature as a whole.
“They’re so funny looking. There’s something about the very oversized bill, their behaviour on some of the trail camera footage, the nuzzling behaviour. And they’re also so clumsy.”
“Hopefully this will continue up and down the east coast,”
