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Puffin Page |
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The puffin is one of the most colourful birds that visit our area every year to nest on the islands of Fidra, Craigleith & May. These comical birds are unfortunately having a very hard time finding food as the stocks of sand eels which is their staple diet are dwindling due to over fishing. They are trying to sustain themselves & their young with pipefish, these fish are being found in far greater quantities due to warmer water conditions, pipefish are a very boney fish & do not have the sustenance that the birds require. Another serious threat to the population of the puffins is the plant called tree mallow, this vegetation was once only found in this area on the Bass Rock but has spread to the other islands. The tree mallow has rapidly taken hold on the islands & choked vast areas, it has very large stalks & a strong root system that makes it hard for the puffin to find a suitable site to burrow down into & form a nest. Volunteers have been on the islands before the breeding season commenced to try to clear the tree mallow from the puffin's favourite nesting sites but it is still a growing problem. Ways of treating this vegetation with chemicals are being looked into as well as the possibility of releasing rabbits to eat the new shoots, hopefully a solution is found soon or we will continue to see a decline in these magical birds. If you would like to help with the volunteer project or have any ideas regarding a way to rid the tree mallow from the islands please get in touch with the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick harbour. |
