The first photographed sighting of puffins on the Calf of Man for over two decades has been recorded.

Manx Wildlife Trust have shared images of two puffins who were seen on Sunday at Kione my Halby.

These are the first since the trust’s project, funded by the Manx Ornithological Society in 2016, to attract puffins to breed on the Calf of Man began.

Model puffins and speakers to play their call are placed around the islet every spring and summer but taken away again for the rest of the year as the puffin breeding season usually spans the warmer months.

Keirron Tastagh, 42, of Adventurous Experiences who took the photos was shocked at the sight.

He said: ’It was both surprising and exciting to watch the two real puffins within the plastic puffin colony from our kayaks.

’We would all love to see puffins in residence on the Calf of Man.’

Fake puffins weren’t put out last year due to the pandemic, so the Wildlife Trust were pleased to see the seabirds landing rather than just swimming in the waters nearby.

Aron Sapsford, of the Calf of Man Bird Observatory, said: ’It’s very important we don’t lose biodiversity.

’Hopefully we’ll see more coming in.’

1979 saw the highest recorded count of puffins in the islet’s history with 60 pairs and they were last known to have bred in 1997.

This was due to the number of rodents on the Calf of Man which wiped out many of the seabirds.

Following a programme to eradicate the long tails, the puffins are now returning.