Rathlin will soon be a sea of brightly coloured beaks and feet again after the puffins returned over the weekend.
Bird charity RSPB NI say the first of the protected species arrived like clockwork, having landed within days of the same date for the past six years.
They come back each year to nest and raise their young and are joined annually at Northern Ireland’s largest sea bird colony by species including kittiwakes, razorbills, fulmars and guillemots.
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RSPB NI Rathlin reserves warden, Liam McFaul, said: “The first puffin sighting of spring is always an uplifting sight.
“On Saturday morning we glimpsed the bright orange feet and colourful bills of our first puffins to arrive back to the island.
“Over the next couple of weeks, more puffins will be returning to nest in burrows and raise their young.”
Puffins are an endangered, red listed species.
One of the best places to see them in Northern Ireland is at the RSPB West Light Seabird Centre on Rathlin Island, which is open from April 15 until September 20.
Visitors will be able to experience the sights and sounds of Rathlin’s seabird city, including puffins, from the cliff-side viewing platform.
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