That is a wrap today for the 2026 seabird breeding season research team after 3.5 months on the Isle of May. 515 people days from staff, collaborators and volunteers resulting in a wealth of data to process and analyse over the coming months.Huge thanks to all, you have been immense

The westerly winds have been holding up the guillemots from fledging. But finally the conditions are right and the noise is deafening. The best seabird spectator sport?

It has been a windy few days. Razorbills have been wind dancing in the updrafts almost at arms reach

Enjoy your lunch...a kittiwake coughed up it's breakfast today. Normally it would be composed of sandeel or rockling but half of this one was a near-intact squid. A very rare occurrence in kittiwake diet on the Isle of May

So many layers to this evenings sunset on the Isle of May

A brisk westerly means for tricky monitoring on the cliffs. But the Razorbills love the updrafts. Display? Or just because they can?

From the extensive collection of awful photos: This colour ringed kittiwake was seen this afternoon in one of the Isle of May monitoring plots. Not a bird caught here but ringed last July on Puffin Island, Anglesey. Presumably not yet of breeding age and prospecting various colonies

Been dodging a few showers today. Looks like we have a pot of gold on one of our guillemot monitoring plots

Dramatic skies over the Isle of May tonight

The Puffin and the Sun Dog.

The SMP is lacking breeding success data. In 2025, colony count data were submitted for 861 sites, but breeding success data were submitted for just 133 sites. If you can monitor seabird breeding success, email us at smp@bto.org! #seabirds @btobirds.bsky.social @jncc.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social

Great to have all of the UKCEH seabird team out to the Isle of May last week to chat about projects, brain storm new ideas, and have a general catch-up to the backdrop of seabird chatter! #seabirds #fieldwork #ornithology

KateSearle@odocokate.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Beautiful evening for birdgazing- thanks to @ukcehseabirds.bsky.social

The squallor of a guillemot colony. After overnight rain some of the ledges are a quagmire. Got to admire their resilience to lie in this for hours at a time

Feeding time for these wee Shag chicks on the Isle of May today 🐣 #seabirds #superseabirdsunday #fieldwork #ornithology

Meet the Eiders. Many spots are used year on year by the Isle of May eiders for nesting. Two of our favourites are named Fern & Daffy, for obvious reasons

A day of attempting to dodge showers and get some fieldwork done. Stunning skyscape at sunset though

The first Isle of May eider ducklings are appearing. Female leading two off to the sea with an overly optimistic male in pursuit

Spot the migrant Painted Lady nectaring on Sea Pink on a stunning Isle of May day

A huge collaborative effort this week from the UKCEH team and NatureScot colleagues completing the biennial Puffin census on the Isle of May. 15 people, ~600 hours, ~1.5M steps, tens of thousands of burrows counted. Now we wait for the 2026 Puffin total 🐧 #seabirds #ornithology #fieldwork

First Razorbill egg of 2026 💚🥚 Yesterday we found the first Razorbill egg of the season on the Isle of May in one of our auk monitoring plots — an exciting sign that the breeding season is officially underway.

The Easter bunny has come early to the Isle of May, delivering us the first Shag eggs of 2026! 🥚🎉🥚 Here's to a bumper breeding season in 2026🤞🙏 #IsleOfMay #seabirds #ornithology @ukceh.bsky.social

Over 34,000 Shags colour ringed (inc >23,500 on Isle of May) in Scotland + Farne Islands since the 70s to understand their winter ecology, including the unusual locations during February's storms when many sadly died. Please send sightings to shags@ceh.ac.uk www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... #seabirds

Scottish shag makes unusual 319-mile trip to Hull

The young seabird, ringed on the Isle of May in Scotland, was spotted at Victoria Dock in Hull.

bbc.co.uk

Last but not least in our 2025 Isle of May breeding summary: Puffins nest in burrows, raising a single chick each summer before spending winter at sea. They take ~3 years to mature & can live for >30 years. 📊Breeding success: 0.75, above average 📉Adult survival: 82%, average #IsleOfMay #Seabirds

How was the 2025 season for Guillemots on the Isle of May? 📊 Breeding success: 0.72, average 📉 Adult survival: 83%, below average Adult survival is crucial for long-lived seabirds, so even small changes matter. Long-term monitoring helps us track how they respond to a changing world. #seabirds

This #WorldWildlifeDay, we’re celebrating the seabirds of the Isle of May — from Puffins & Guillemots to Razorbills & Kittiwakes. These cliffs support thousands of breeding birds, a powerful reminder to protect our marine wildlife & coastal habitats. 🐦🌊 #IsleOfMay #seabirds #ornithology

Despite facing ongoing challenges from avian flu (amongst other things), the Isle of May Kittiwake population continues its upwards trend from a low count of 1,712 nests in 2013. 🐦📈 #IsleOfMay #seabirds #ornithology #breedingsuccess #productivity #island #wildlifescience #conservation

Shags have had a tough few years on the Isle of May following a large mortality event in winter 2023/24 and a smaller event earlier this year. Thankfully both 2024 and 2025 saw above average productivity, so hopefully the population can recover in time. 🐣 #IsleOfMay #seabirds #ornithology

The 2025 #seabird breeding results are in from the Isle of May: Razorbills fledged 0.63 chicks per pair - right on the long-term average. Even better: 91.2% survival, well above the long-term average of 83.9% Strong productivity + excellent survival = a really encouraging year for #Razorbills. 💚

Puffins and Shags seem to have been hit hardest by recent storms, with many reports of birds washed ashore. This includes one Isle of May Puffin that was ringed as an adult in 1995, making it at least 34 years old! #stormChandra #seabirds #winterstorms www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Puffin aged 34 dies after being washed up in stormy weather

Staff at an Aberdeenshire rescue centre were able to trace its history thanks to a ring on its foot.

bbc.co.uk

UKCEHseabirds@ukcehseabirds.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Lots of reports of dead seabirds in the aftermath of recent storms. Please keep an eye out for any dead colour ringed Shags and send details to shags@ceh.ac.uk #seabirds #ornithology #winterstorm

Lots of reports of dead seabirds in the aftermath of recent storms. Please keep an eye out for any dead colour ringed Shags and send details to shags@ceh.ac.uk #seabirds #ornithology #winterstorm