Extreme weather early in 2014 took its toll on local sea birds.  Over two hundred came to us from January to the end of March; the majority were washed up exhausted and thin due to high seas and strong winds. 

They ranged from guillemots to larger birds like gannets and shags, but there was one species we don’t see very often at West Hatch - the puffin. At the time, puffins were in feather moult so it meant they were unable to fly. 

We washed them and then put them into our rehabilitation pools but then had to work out how to safely release them. With help from the Lundy Island warden we got passage on the Lundy ferry. We then released them just off the island to join the other puffins there as their feathers would soon be fully grown and they would return to the island to breed.