Puffin Cam on Burhou is now live

Islanders can stream the live footage from the island off Alderney, where the birds are laying their eggs and will soon be raising their pufflings.

The project is organised by the Alderney Wildlife Trust.

Burhou is home to about 100 breeding pairs. Numbers have been stabilising in recent years. In addition to the main and close-up cameras, this year there is also a colony camera, which is capable of rotating for views across the island and zooming in on breeding sites or on the birds rafting on the water.

Viewers wanting to get a better idea of the habitats and environment used by the puffins can tune in to colony cam daily at 4pm, when there will be an automatic tour of the island as the camera pans around the island and zooms in on the colony.

Later in the season there will be recorded tours, with a voice-over from the island’s Ramsar officer, explaining what the cameras are showing as they pan around and giving more information about the puffins.

There will also be regular blogs, giving information about the birds’ breeding cycle and when they might lay their eggs.

Telecoms company Sure has again supported the project.

Head of marketing Francesca Vadher said they were excited to be part of the initiative.

‘We’re very lucky to have the Atlantic puffins living on our doorstep and Puffin Cam enables us all to learn more about them,’ she said.

Camera streaming is provided by Streamdays, part of NW Security Group.

The Atlantic puffin is currently listed as an endangered species in Europe by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with rapid population declines likely due to threats including human disturbance, climate change and pollution. The Alderney Wildlife Trust is hoping to encourage conservation of the birds by enabling the thousands of Puffin Cam viewers to bring puffins into their homes so they can learn more about the birds and their behaviour.

Viewers and marine users are also encouraged to abide by and spread the word about the recently publicised Puffin Friendly Zone, where mariners do not enter the main bay and abide by a code of conduct.

• To view the cameras go to www.teachingthroughnature.co.uk/webcams.