GIANT seabirds have been popping up as part of an art trail along the East Yorkshire coast.

Organisers of Puffins Galore! placed the first sculpture at the RSPB Centre at Bempton, home to almost half a million seabirds which cram onto the cliffs every year. The second puffin was installed at North Landing, Flamborough, with another in the centre of the village and a fourth at Sewerby Hall.

From there the installation team from Hull-based Strata Group – one of the sponsors of the project – headed into Bridlington, where ten sculptures will be displayed. During the rest of the week the remaining puffins will be delivered to coastal locations in Hornsea, Withernsea and Spurn Point as well as to inland sites at Patrington, Hull, Beverley and Cottingham.

On Saturday July 2, once all 42 puffins are in place, the Puffins Galore! website will officially launch the trail by posting details of every location and pictures of every design.

Rick Welton, co-director of Puffins Galore!, said: “Seeing our puffins settling into their new homes is the reward for months of hard work by so many people involved in the project and we are immensely grateful to all of them.

“There’s the factory in Poland where a lot of the manufacturing had to stop because some of the workers are from Ukraine, the artists across the region who came up with some wonderful designs and fantastic paintwork, the sponsors who have supported the project in such difficult times and the delivery teams who have covered hundreds of miles dropping off plinths and puffins.”

Rick and Puffins Galore! project manager and co-director Clare Huby were both involved in the hugely successful Larkin with Toads in 2010 and the follow-up A Moth for Amy in 2016.

The initial investment and support was provided by key partner Yorkshire Coast BID and project partner Visit East Yorkshire with the aim of raising the area’s profile as a tourist destination.

Artists submitted more than 150 designs in response to a brief setting out three core themes of endangered wildlife of the coasts and seas, the global warming crisis and the growth of green energy, and people and stories of the East Yorkshire coast.

Sarah Dalton, who combines her work as an artist with a day job in the Solo Hair Salon in Hull’s Old Town, designed and painted the first puffin, “The Balance of Threat and Hope”, in close collaboration with a private sponsor who also worked with her on A Moth for Amy.

Sarah said: “The puffin was delivered to my house and just stood in the corner for a week and a half watching us before I got to it. I took a week off work and plugged away at it. I did some pre-experiments to capture what I wanted.

“I wanted it to look completely normal from a distance. Then, as you get closer to it, you see the line drawings coming through and the flecks of glitter reflecting the hidden message of human impact. During lockdown I struggled with creativity but the puffin project has given me some focus again.”

Clare Huby said the puffins will remain in place until the end of October before being sold either to their sponsors or at a grand charity auction which will raise funds for Hornsea Inshore Rescue, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, RNLI, and the RSPB.

Clare said: “Having worked on Larkin with Toads and A Moth for Amy we know how much the public enjoy animal sculpture trails and we’re bracing ourselves for an exciting week and a social media frenzy as people see the puffins in their new homes.

“We’re confident people will take to the highways and by-ways of East Yorkshire to track down the puffins, take in some of the region’s tourist attractions and swamp us with selfies!”

Kerry Carruthers, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Coast BID said: “Being able to support projects like Puffins Galore! that make art and education about wildlife accessible for people of all ages along the Yorkshire Coast is fantastic! The talent involved in designing the Puffins alone is worth celebrating, and we encourage everyone to make the discovery of these a must do activity this summer.”

Councillor Jane Evison, East Riding of Yorkshire Council portfolio holder for economic growth and tourism, said : “I am delighted that Visit East Yorkshire is a project partner in this exciting Puffins Galore initiative, celebrating an iconic feature of the East Yorkshire coast, and helping to boost tourism still further. This is a great idea, and these giant puffins add a whole new dimension to a trip to our wonderful resorts and attractions. I feel sure they will bring many visitors to the area.”

Find out more at: puffinsgalore.co.uk/