Grounded puffin rescued from Northumberland beach

A puffin found on the beach at Bamburgh has been treated by the RSPCA.
A puffin's age is measured by the number of grooves on its beak.A puffin's age is measured by the number of grooves on its beak.
A puffin's age is measured by the number of grooves on its beak.

The distinctive bird was discovered close to the tideline near Bamburgh Castle on Sunday, and officers were concerned he had been contaminated by oil.

The puffin was picked up by RSPCA inspector Lucy Green and has since been transported to the RSPCA’s East Winch Wildlife Centre in Norfolk.

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But before he arrived at the centre, the puffin was examined and cared for by Yorkshire-based wildlife rehabilitator Jean Thorpe. Lucy arranged a rendezvous point with North and East Yorkshire Inspector Tom Hutton, so he could take the seabird to Rydale Wildlife Rehabilitation.

The bird was found at Bamburgh.The bird was found at Bamburgh.
The bird was found at Bamburgh.

He stayed with Jean for a couple of days before making the next stage of his 270-mile journey to East Winch, from where he will be released back into the wild when he is fit and ready.

Lucy said: “He was just sat there on the beach when I found him. He’s had a thorough examination at the wildlife vets and while he was a good weight, his plumage was showing signs of possible oil contamination.

“Now he’ll get the specialist rehabilitation he needs at East Winch and they will check that he is waterproof before he can safely go back out.

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“He’s the second puffin we have seen this week. Normally in this area it is guillemots we rescue, so it is quite unusual.”

The grounded bird on the beach.The grounded bird on the beach.
The grounded bird on the beach.

The bird was aged as an older adult by the wildlife rehabilitator after a closer examination showed he had three grooves in his beak.

He may have been grounded at Bamburgh after flying from the Farne Islands, a renowned breeding colony for puffins.