First puffins of the season arrive on Isle of May in the Firth of Forth

They have been away since August.

Puffins have returned to the Isle of May.

The first puffins of the season have arrived on the Isle of May, having been at sea since August last year.

Scottish National Heritage Nature Reserve Manager for the Isle of May David Steel shared a video of some of the newly-returned birds on social media.

He said: “It’s happened, puffins have landed this morning on their breeding colonies on Isle of May for first time this year, having been away at sea since last August. Great news!”

The Isle of May is home to 46,200 pairs of puffins, and 200,000 seabirds.

It is currently closed to visitors, and the majority of the staff, volunteers and bird observatory guests did not arrive on the island for this year’s season, beginning on Monday March 23.

Instead just two staff members are now on the island, Mr Steel, and Assistant Manager Bex Outram.

There are over 46,000 breeding pairs on the island.

The pair will maintain the reserve and ensure the wildlife remains protected in the coming weeks.

They will continue to provide updates about the arrival of puffins for the new season.

The Isle of May is normally open to visitors between April 1 and September 30, with boats bringing people from Anstruther Harbour or North Berwick.

Over 13,500 people visited the island in the 2018 season.