Broken puffin cam on Burhou island needs 'minor repairs'

It will not be possible to fix the webcam as researchers are not allowed on the island at the moment

Alderney's main puffin cam on the island of Burhou is down after 17 years with "minor repairs" needed to fix the camera.

However, the States of Alderney said it had taken the decision to not allow researchers on the island during puffin breeding season.

This means it is not currently possible to fix the webcam, which was installed in 2009.

There are two remaining Burhou webcams and a gannet webcam still operational.

The General Services Committee of the States made the decision to protect the puffin population, Alderney Wildlife Trust said.

"This year they've tried to limit disturbance on the puffins," Ramsar officer Alex Purdie said.

There are about 100 pairs of Atlantic puffin on the island, about 1.4 miles (2.25km) north east of Alderney, and its breeding season spans from March to early August.

Burhou will reopen to the public from 1 August once the puffins have left.

In 2022, there were more than 200,000 visitors to the webcams from all over the world, and the States invested more than £2,000 to upgrade the main camera.

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