The rocks north of Alderney have once again welcomed their most iconic summer residents, the northern gannets.
Each year, between February and October, Alderney’s Les Etacs and Ortac are home to around 6,000 pairs of gannets.
The large white seabirds reunite with their lifelong partners and nest together.
After the winter in North Africa, the birds touched down 6 February, a week earlier than in 2025.
Ecologist Gabriella Stewart from the Alderney Wildlife Trust says the birds, which form lifelong pairs, usually return closer to Valentine’s Day.
"Once they're pair-bonded, they will stay bonded.
"Unless, perhaps, their partner was to die, then that would be the only reason why they'd make a new bond.
"So it's very sort of romantic in that way."
Gabriella says it's important to protect the island’s ecosystem and provide a safe home for these seabirds.
"Alderney actually supports over one percent of the world's northern gannet population.
"We've got about 6,000 breeding pairs on Les Etacs and 2,700 pairs on Ortac.
"This is a globally significant colony, especially as they're at the southern edge of the species range.
"It is really amazing to see them gather in these numbers."
Watch the action unfold live using the Alderney Gannet Cam: https://www.alderneywildlife.org/wildlife/webcams/gannet-cam
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