More than 22,000 puffins have arrived on the island

Last week fewer than 100 puffins has arrived at the 14-acre Coquet Island, compared to 18,700 pairs last year.

But now the puffins have made a big return to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) reserve.

A count carried out on Saturday found that an estimated 22,500 birds had returned.

We know that many of the birds are now incubating eggs Paul Morrison, RSPB

RSPB warden Paul Morrison, said: "It is fantastic to see so many puffins back on Coquet.

"Normally the island is full of thousands of the birds by mid-May, but until this week only a few birds had settled back on the island.

"It is very unusual for the puffins to return so late and we don't know yet what the implications are for their breeding success.

"We just hope that it will now be business as usual for the puffins, as we know that many of the birds are now incubating eggs."

Puffins first nested on Coquet in 1966 and their numbers have increased ever since.