The first Puffin has arrived back at RSPB Bempton Cliffs on the East Yorkshire coast and the nature reserve’s conservationists will be watching closely as the seabird breeding season begins. Seen touching down on the chalky Yorkshire cliffs, the return of the first Puffin is always a welcome sight and faithful to their safe cliff nest sites the Puffins will be heading straight back to the same next site year after year to breed.

Puffins are unmistakable birds with their black back and white underparts, distinctive black head with large pale cheeks and their tall, flattened, bright, multi-coloured bill. Its comical appearance is heightened by its triangular red and black eye-markings and bright orange legs and has earned it the monikers Sea Parrot and Clown of the Sea.

Whilst much loved by visitors, many people may not realise that the Puffin is on the red list of conservation concern, meaning it is among our most threatened seabirds. RSPB Bempton Cliffs is home to the UK’s largest mainland seabird colony. Around half a million seabirds - including Gannets, Kittiwakes, Guillemots and Razorbills as well as around 3,000 Puffins - breed here each year, creating one of the UK’s greatest wildlife spectacles.

There has, however, been concern this season following recent “seabird wrecks”, which have seen Puffins washing up along parts of the Yorkshire and Northumberland coastline. The reason so many birds have died at sea this year, is not yet clear – though stormy weather, reduced fish availability and bird flu could be causes. The “wreck” is thought to be the most significant since 2014 and has also affected other parts of the UK, the Channel Islands and mainland Europe.

It’s always a special moment when our first Puffin returns to Bempton — they bring so much joy and energy back to the cliffs and visitors absolutely love seeing them up close. While we’ve sadly seen recent ‘seabird wrecks’ along our coastline, events like this remind us just how important places like Bempton are.

By protecting their nesting sites and improving the health of our seas, we can give them the best possible chance to recover and thrive. That’s why conservation action now is so crucial. Every positive step helps build stronger, more resilient seabird populations for the future.

The RSPB’s new “Save Our Seabirds” campaign will be officially launched 14 April on World Puffin Day. It is hoped to raise £250,000 and donations will support the RSPB’s Marine Recovery Programme to put our seabirds and marine life on track for recovery.

Yorkshire’s Puffins will continue arriving throughout April, staying to raise their Pufflings — with each pair laying just one egg — before departing again at the end of July. They spend the winter at sea, widely dispersed across the North Sea and eastern North Atlantic Ocean.

Dave O’Hara, Senior Reserve Manager, RSPB Bempton Cliffs, said:

“I love this time of year. As the sun rises over our rugged coastline, I’m lucky enough to spot the silhouettes of Puffins arriving home to nest. It’s a joy to hear the gasps of delight from school children, walkers and keen bird watchers.

“These birds have faced real challenges in recent years, but there is hope. Thanks to conservation efforts — including our successful campaigning to end industrial Sandeel fishing, thus protecting their food sources — we now have an opportunity to turn the tide.

“Campaigns like Save Our Seabirds are about making sure future generations can experience this incredible spectacle for decades to come.”

RSPB’s director for conservation, Katie-Jo Luxton, added:

“Our seabirds face many pressures: overfishing and climate change affecting food availability, poorly planned offshore marine development excluding them from key habitats and the ongoing impacts of bird flu.

“We therefore cannot take the arrival of Puffins and other seabirds back to our shores for granted. Our campaigning work has brought about the end of industrial sandeel fishing in the English North Sea, providing a lifetime for hungry puffins, but we need to do more to restore and protect the marine habitats these birds call home. Our new campaign will go towards our world-leading science, helping us to save our precious seabirds, while we still have the chance”.

People can donate to the RSPB “Save Our Seabirds” campaign here: www.rspb.org.uk/sos