AssetID: 55868896
Headline: Puffin chicks return to Dorset for first time in 30 years
Caption: **Issued under embargo for 00.01hrs Wednesday 22 July 2026** **VIDEO AVAILABLE: CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM TO RECEIVE** A puffin chick has been spotted on Dorset's coast for the first time in 30 years, raising hopes for the future of one of England's smallest and most vulnerable seabird colonies. Conservationists confirmed the sighting of the young bird, known as a puffling, on cliffs near the National Trust's Dancing Ledge in Purbeck, where the last breeding colony of puffins on mainland England's south coast survives. The chick was seen peeping out from a deep crevice in the cliff after more than 15 weeks of monitoring by volunteers, who had watched adult puffins court, mate, gather nesting material and repeatedly return with fish to hidden nests. The monitoring project is being led by Dr Richard Caldow, a seabird ecologist with almost 40 years' experience in coastal bird conservation, supported by volunteers from the Purbeck Natural History Forum. The colony is thought to comprise just three breeding pairs. Dr Richard Caldow said: “With only three breeding pairs remaining, every chick matters. One puffling alone won’t save this colony, but one is a whole lot better news than none. "We first observed fish being taken into the ledge on 31 May, with the last fish delivery recorded on 5 July. Based on this, we estimated the puffling to be 38 to 40 days old. Puffins typically fledge between 38 and 44 days after hatching, so it had reached the minimum age at which it could leave the nest.” The young bird is expected to leave the nest under the cover of darkness before spending several years at sea. If it survives, it could return to Purbeck from around two years of age, although puffins do not usually breed until they are about four years old. Six adult puffins were recorded at the colony in April. By early June, volunteers had observed birds carrying fish into at least two nesting sites, suggesting more than one pair had attempted to breed. However, only one nest continued to receive regular deliveries of fish throughout the breeding season. Fish deliveries to other nest sites stopped after 12 June, indicating that any chicks there are unlikely to have survived. Dr Caldow said the sighting marked an important milestone for the colony. “Seeing the puffling was a great thrill, the first puffling that’s been recorded in Purbeck for a long time. It tells us that Purbeck puffins can still lay fertile eggs, hatch them and, at least in some years, find enough food to rear a chick and escape the attention of predators.” The project relied on 13 volunteers, who spent around 150 hours monitoring the nesting ledge. Additional sightings were reported by commercial boat operators working with Durlston Country Park, Birds of Poole Harbour and Pierhead Watersports. Ben Cooke, the National Trust's Rivers and Coast project officer for Purbeck, said the confirmed sighting was an important breakthrough. “This is fantastic news for everyone who has been monitoring and supporting this colony. There have been anecdotal sightings in the past, but this puffling was witnessed and photographed by some of our most experienced volunteers.” Earlier this year, the National Trust installed motion-sensitive cameras overlooking the nesting crevice in an effort to understand why the colony has struggled to raise chicks successfully. Powered by solar panels and installed by specialist rope access teams, the cameras are expected to provide thousands of images of activity inside the nest once they are retrieved after the breeding season. Mr Cooke said the footage could help identify why eggs and chicks had been lost in previous years. “The images should hopefully reveal more of the nesting, feeding and fledging activity of the puffins. Understanding what is happening inside the nesting crevice is the missing piece of the puzzle. If we can identify the reasons why chicks and eggs are being lost, we can begin to explore what conservation measures might help. “Puffins are such an iconic bird, we want to do everything in our power to help them survive in Purbeck. We are hugely grateful to Dr Richard Caldow for his tireless efforts in researching the puffins and what might be affecting them, and to his team of volunteers for the hours they spend monitoring them.” The National Trust hopes the findings will help secure the future of the colony, which remains the only breeding population of puffins on mainland England's south coast. Because the nesting ledge is inaccessible from land, the birds are most easily seen from the sea during the breeding season, although puffins, guillemots and razorbills usually leave the cliffs by the middle of July.
Keywords: feature,photo,puffins,puffling,nature
PersonInImage: Puffin camera installation.