A wayward puffin found in a garden over 100 miles from the coast has been returned to the sea.
The bird was named Oona by rescuers after being found 110 miles inland.
Puffins are on the UK red list for conservation concern.
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Living exclusively in coastal areas, puffins live on a diet of fish, with sand eels a particular favourite.
They are immediately recognisable with their big yellow, black, red, blue, and orange beaks and grey, black and white plumage.
But Oona, named after the character in the kids’ books and TV show, Puffin Rock, was found in a garden in Hereford last month.
She was taken to the RSPCA’s West Hatch Wildlife Centre near Taunton, Somerset, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Supervisor, Ryan Walker, said: “She was found in a garden in Herefordshire, around 110 miles inland – a less than ideal place for a puffin to find food.
“Thankfully, the finder took the puffin to Vets for Pets in Hereford for triage.
“At only 7.7 oz, half the weight of a healthy adult, she was very underweight but otherwise bright, so they reached out to our resident expert wildlife vet, David Couper, for some help.
“Following his advice, they managed to stabilise the puffin and later named her Oona, after a children’s book about an adventurous puffin.
“She became a bit of a local celebrity, so we were all a little star-struck when she was transferred south to RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre for rehabilitation.
“We’ve only had six puffins in care here over the last decade, so the arrival of Oona has been news for staff here.
“And a first since 2021!
“Our expert team of oiled bird washers gave Oona a luxury spa day to wash away her woes, and any residual oil contaminating her waterproofing.
“Having spent some time recovering in one of our pools and eaten plenty of fish, Oona was ready for release back into the wild.”
The RSPCA team carefully transported her to Pembrokeshire, where she was released back into the sea.
Puffins are members of the auk family, like guillemots, but are much smaller – around the same size as a pigeon. In summer, adults are easily recognised by their colourful parrot-like bills.
They nest in colonies, rearing their young in underground burrows.
The young birds then go to sea when they fledge, not returning to the colony for at least two years.
Adult birds will also start leaving the colony when their offspring have fledged, to spend the winter at sea before coming to the UK’s shores in spring and summer to breed.
Puffins in Pembrokeshire are primarily found on Skomer Island, which boasts the largest puffin colony in southern Britain.
