The first puffins of the year have been spotted arriving off the
east coast of Scotland. Earlier this week the bird was seen from
the live cameras at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North
Berwick. Every year the puffins return to the island of
Craigleith in the Firth of Forth to breed. The number of puffins
in Scotland has been in decline in recent years thanks to
overfishing and the invasion of a foreign plant. Tree mallow
stops the birds from reaching their burrows to nest and is
responsible for the decline on the islands off the east coast.
Volunteers have been visiting Craigleith and the nearby island
of Fidra since 2007 to clear the plants to allow the puffins to
reach their nests. Tom Brock, chief executive of the Scottish
Seabird Centre, said: "The return of the puffins marks a very
special time at the centre. It is amazing to zoom in on them
using our cameras to see them close up and interacting with each
other. Their behaviour is fascinating and they are definitely
looking at their colourful best at t