Nature's Corner

The Puffins of Lunga.

Lunga; such a remote island - 81 hectares in all, inhabited until 1857 and there are remnants of the old “Blackhouses” still evident in the Northeastern part of the island. It is the largest of the Treshnish isles near the Isle of Staffa about an hour’s boat ride from the Isle of Mull.

We stayed for a week in May of this year (2024) at the southwestern end of Mull and one of the highlights of the week was always going to be a trip out to see the incredible Puffins and others on Lunga. This would be our third visit over the years and with the best possible weather forecast and a trip we had previously booked on the “Turus Mara”, it was looking to be a good outing.

The day started with a boatful of likeminded people setting off from the tiny harbour at Ulva on Mull and a smooth, calm and steady journey out towards our first port of call, Staffa. The skipper announced over the Tannoy as we approached the Isle that we would be making a diversion before landing as a small pod of Common Dolphin had appeared around half a mile off Staffa; this proved to be a worthwhile fifteen minutes or so as the Dolphins were breaking surface very close to the boat giving breathtaking views of these wonderful creatures.

The Isle of Staffa is famous for its Fingal’s cave which is a huge recess in the side of the island and there is a small pathway picking its way along the rocky shore with a decent handrail allowing one to venture into the cave itself, before climbing the steep steps and mooching about on the grassy island crown with many birds including Puffins in the water reasonably close by.

The huge Basalt columns forming the island and disappearing into the cave make it look as though a mythical giant has constructed the whole thing; of course, the “Giants causeway” in Northern Island is formed from similar Basalt columns giving the same impression and is named accordingly.

If you’re lucky, the boat skipper will blast out Mendelssohn’s Fingal’s cave from his Hebrides overture very loudly at the cave entrance before you get off the boat, something that seems quite bizarre yet, so atmospheric when a good way out to sea!

An hour on Staffa and we’re off on the 25-minute boat journey to Lunga, and impressive though Staffa is, this is what we’ve been waiting for. On arrival, the boat manoeuvres its amazing floating gang plank which waits alongside the rocky shore to allow people off the boat, the delightful Puffins breathe a sigh of relief, and you can almost hear them cheering as this means they are now safe from the constant harassment meted out by the Great Skuas and Herring and Great Black Backed Gulls on them. Puffins are not much bigger than a Blackbird and are forever being robbed of their hard-earned catch of Sand-eels and are indeed quite often a meal in themselves to these larger predators.

Yes, so now they can venture out of their burrows which are situated along the grassy cliff top overlooking the sea, stretch their wings and pose right in front of the eager human visitors with their cameras and phones as they are easily approachable to within 6 feet; you can sense the disbelief and joy on the faces of all those present as they indulge in this phenomenal experience.

The Puffins call continually in that funny little groaning noise sounding a bit like Hilda Baker on steroids (you need to be of a certain age.... ahem) and flap their tiny wings, even courting right in front of the enthralled line of people. During this time in mid-May, the island is festooned with Bluebells and stunning pink Sea Thrift with Puffins burrowing amongst them making it a bird photographer’s paradise. The biggest threat is that they allow people to get so close that there’s a possibility of burrow collapse through treading on the grass above where the single Puffling chick might be tucked up in the nest, therefore there is a rope laid out across the cliff top to prevent this happening.

Of course there are other species nesting in the same area, Razorbills also stand confidently in front of you and Fulmars nest on the nearby ledges flying right over your head knowing they are safe; I know of nowhere else at all where it’s possible to get closer to these wild birds and the two hours spent in their company is a truly magical experience Once the boats depart, it’s back to the barrage of Gulls and Skuas until the next fine day when the humans come to visit........Dave Parry