Puffin rescued more than 100 miles from its habitat

By Ed Chatterton

A stranded puffin has been rescued after being found more than a hundred miles away from its natural coastal habitat - in the Midlands.

The seabird was blown off course before landing in a garden in landlocked Hereford, where it was found by a concerned homeowner and taken to a vet.

It is believed the lost puffin was trying to make its way back to the cliffs of Skomer or Skokholm Island out in Pembrokeshire, Wales - 110 miles (177km) away.

Vets discovered the exhausted bird was weak and underweight and managed to nurture it back to health with a specialized formula.

The puffin - nicknamed Oona - will be transported back to West Wales and released back into the wild once she regains her full strength.
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Dr. Elliot Goodwin, practice owner and head veterinary surgeon at Vets for Pets Hereford, said: "We were surprised, to say the least.

"Puffins never venture this far inland unless they’re disoriented or have been blown off course.

"It’s likely she was returning to her nesting site in West Wales and lost her way.

"Although she is not injured, she is very tired from her inland holiday.

"As you can imagine, we get phone calls about all sorts of wildlife and sometimes people get a bit confused and think some things are something different than what they actually are.

"So we didn't quite believe it was going to be a puffin, but no, sure enough, she came in with the puffin."

The team, led by nutrition expert and head nurse Becky Bridges, administered a specialized formula designed for fish-eating birds to help Oona build her strength.

Elliot added: “It was a full team effort, from diagnosis to feeding and nutrition, everyone brought their expertise to the table.

"Even though we’ve treated many exotics before, including lynx, meerkats and goshawks, this was our first puffin.”

Vet Elliot said the colorfully billed birds usually travel in small groups and encouraged residents to be on the lookout for other puffins, which might have lost their way.

He added: “Puffins are a lot smaller than people realize, with healthy adults being around 400g - but she weighs 218g.

"If you do find one, don’t attempt to feed or handle them yourself; call for veterinary support, as early intervention can make all the difference.”

Dr. Sasha Norris, of Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue, said seabirds blown off course usually don't make it, so Oona's has been very lucky.

She added: "Sadly, seabirds who are so off course are usually very poorly and often don’t make it.

"At Herefordshire Wildlife Rescue, we have seen gannets and shearwaters arrive in the county, but usually there is something seriously wrong."

Puffins are listed as a red status in the UK, which means they are a species of high conservation concern.

Living exclusively in coastal areas, puffins live on a diet of fish, with sand eels a particular favourite.

Puffins usually make their home on islands and clifftops around the country from April to July, the Wildlife Trust said.

According to the RSPB, there are around 580,000 UK breeding pairs.