00:00The Farn Islands off the Northumberland coast are home to an important seabird colony.
00:06Around 220,000 birds gather there each summer, but this year's National Trust survey shows
00:11how difficult life has become for some. Breeding puffin pears have fallen by 12% to just under
00:1734,000. Rangers say the decline follows a punishing winter in the North Atlantic when storms made
00:24it harder for seabirds to survive. Three major storms contributed to a seabird wreck across
00:30Western Europe. More than 38,000 birds were stranded along the coasts of Spain, Portugal and France.
00:37Hundreds of puffins also washed up in southwest England, while dead birds were found on beaches
00:42in northeast England in February. Puffins spend much of the winter far out at sea. The National
00:48Trust says rough conditions make it harder for them to find food while using more energy to stay alive.
00:54Shags face a different challenge. They stay closer to shore and their feathers are not
00:59completely waterproof. They need to return to land regularly to dry off. The survey found
01:04declines in other species, including Arctic terns and guillemots. But it was not all bad news.
01:10Black-headed gulls and razorbills increased and rangers found four gadwall nests. Puffin chicks
01:16also had a better year, with more surviving to leave their burrows. Although puffin numbers fell
01:21across the islands, they rose slightly on inner fawn. Rangers are investigating what may be helping them there.
