Good news, wildlife fans! The puffin population on the Welsh Skomer Island has hit record highs for a second-year-running. As per BBC News, the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales has revealed that the population of seabirds on the small island off the coast of Pembrokeshire is up to 52,019, which is a whopping 8,000 more than what was counted during last year's record peak.
While Skomer Island is only tiny at around 2.92 square kilometres, it's regarded as one of the most important seabird islands in the entire world. This is in part due to its isolation, as the small island is set around a mile off the coast of Wales, making it protected from predators and people and perfect as a breeding ground for seabirds, including manx shearwaters, guillemots, and razorbills.
For the puffin population, this news is immensely positive as it shows that the birds are thriving in one of their most populous habitats outside of Iceland and Norway. For those wondering how the puffins were counted, all 52,000 of the birds were hand-counted by WTSWW employees using binoculars and notepads, a feat that seems incredibly challenging.