PUFFINS ROCK BACK UP TO ISLAND NESTS

Removal of Muck's rats leads to birds breeding there again after 25 years.

- BY JONATHAN MCCAMBRIDGE

PUFFINS have been found nesting on a nature reserve for the first time in 25 years.

The discovery was made by Ulster Wildlife on the Isle of Muck off Islandmagee and is being hailed as a major milestone in the recovery of the vulnerable seabirds in Northern Ireland.

The comeback is the result of a seabird recovery project, launched by the nature conservation charity in 2017 to remove invasive brown rats, the biggest threat to seabird eggs and chicks, from the island.

A programme of winter grazing has also been implemented to keep vegetation low to reduce cover for the rats.