Puffins, Inner Farne

David travels regularly to the stunning Northumberland coast to paint.

The Farne Islands, a group of rocky islets off the coast of Northumberland, England, are one of the UK’s most important wildlife havens. Managed by the National Trust, these islands attract thousands of visitors each year, primarily for their incredible seabird populations and thriving grey seal colony.

Among the most famous residents of the Farne Islands are the Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica). These charismatic seabirds, with their distinctive orange beaks and clown-like appearance, return to the islands every spring to breed. The Farnes host around 55,000 breeding pairs during peak season, making it one of the largest puffin colonies in the UK. They nest in burrows dug into the soft, grassy terrain, where they lay a single egg and take turns incubating it.

Puffins are excellent divers, using their wings to “fly” underwater in search of small fish like sand eels. Despite their playful appearance, puffins face challenges such as climate change, overfishing, and habitat loss, which threaten their food supply and nesting sites.

Visitors to the Farne Islands can take boat tours from Seahouses, offering close-up views of these incredible birds, along with other seabirds like guillemots, razorbills, and terns, making the islands a true wildlife paradise.

After an mixed media painting by David Stead, this beautiful limited edition print is on deep profile, archival quality canvas. The print is limited to an edition of only 150 and comes with a certificate of authentication