Fair Isle: July 2020

Sunday, July 05, 2020

Fair Isle Puffins concerned by the noticeable decline of the Human Species.

My son Henry singing to lonely Puffins.

The Puffins are not seeing the numbers of Humans they are used too. The number of Human Auk Gawkers were drastically reduced last breeding season after the loss of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory in March, 2019 due to a devastating fire requiring a total rebuild from the ground up before any guest can return. Still, many people came and stayed in the island's guesthouses. While many others arrived on private yachts and day visits from crowded cruise-ships one hundred or more at a time.

Now sadly with the Corona Virus, all tourism and Puffin lovers have been stopped up till now. Thus leaving only a few of the 47 Fair Islanders to visit the Puffin Colonies on occasional walks. I swear the Puffins look surprised and glad to see me each time I appear, they are not afraid of me. Especially the Puffins nearest the old bird observatory and the North Haven harbour where most of the Tourists find easy access to a great Puffin Colony on Buness. These Puffins are used to people and cameras, over time they have realized people crazy about Puffins are scaring away the predators, Bonxies/Great Skuas, Large Gulls, and Arctic Skuas are afraid of Humans and will leave the Puffins alone when they are there watching the magic of a Puffins on a clifftop. It seems at this Puffin Colony more than anywhere else Puffins are really missing the Human presence. The growing numbers of Bonxies are relentlessly hunting the Puffins all over the island and the odd relationship between Puffin enthusiast and the quirky birds is sorely missed by both the Puffins and the people who want to see them.

With the new ease of travel guidelines from the Scottish Government and Guesthouses due to or possibly opening if they wish on August 15th, I'm afraid the Puffins will still not be seen by many visitors this breeding season which ends mid-August. The strange symbiotic relationship between Puffins & Puffin Lovers has been broken. As far as I see it, and you can see it plainly on their sad clown faces all over the island people have been missed.