SEALS and seabirds living on remote islands off the North-East coast are set to become unlikely TV stars from next week.

Millions of viewers are expected to tune in when BBC Springwatch returns to screens from Monday broadcasting live from the Farne Islands.

Daily updates will be broadcast from the rugged Northumberland islands on BBC2 from Monday until June 17 as Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Martin Hughes-Games present the ever-popular show.

Reporter Iolo Williams will make the Farne Islands his home for the next three weeks, focusing on the area’s breeding puffin population and Atlantic grey seal colony.

Home to more than 85,000 breeding pairs of seabirds and one of the world’s largest colonies of 4,000 Atlantic Grey Seals, the windswept Farnes are looked after by a hardy team of National Trust rangers, who spend up to ten months of the year living on the islands.

National Trust countryside manager for the Northumberland Coast, Gwen Potter said: “At this time of year, the Farne Islands are unlike anywhere else in the UK.

“Sir David Attenborough himself described them as ‘the UK’s greatest wildlife experience’.

“Not only are the islands an incredible place for humans, but they are of course a safe haven for the birds where they can breed in relative safety.”

Viewers will be given a flavour of what it’s like to live and work on the islands and see up close how puffins nest in burrows to bring up their chicks, named ‘pufflings’.

Looking after the Farne Islands, the National Trust rangers carefully balance the conservation needs of the islands, which are an internationally important breeding site, with allowing visitor access.

Farne Islands Ranger Ed Tooth said: “Vegetation management takes up most of our time, as we look to maintain current suitable habitat and also create new areas.

“We also monitor the population of every species that breeds, which involves counting around 85,000 pairs of birds.

“Most we count on the nest, and some, like the puffin census, we only carry out every five years as it is such a mammoth task.

“We also count all the grey seal pups that are born in October to December.

“Immersing yourself in a world of seabirds is amazing, and we help people make the most of their visit by keeping them safe and educating them about what they are seeing, whilst managing that access to protect the breeding birds.”

The islands will be open as normal for visitors while filming takes place, with boats sailing daily from Seahouses, weather permitting.

For more information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/farne-islands or follow the team on Twitter.