SWINDON, England, Jan.

SWINDON, England, Sept.

The number of puffins at one of the UK's key colonies has mysteriously fallen by a third and scientists are now using hi-tech tags to get an insight into why it may be happening.

Britain's puffins are among the wildlife suffering from a second year of erratic weather, the National Trust said Saturday. This year's cold spring, wet summer and dry autumn have made tough going for puffins, the marsh fritillary butterfly and lesser horseshoe bats, the BBC reported. A wet summer in 2009 could be disastrous for insects -- an integral part of the wildlife food chain, the National Trust said. Bees struggled though frost and snow in April, while birds, including blue and great tits, failed to nest because of heavy rain in late May and a lack of insects for food.

IF LIVING by the sea sounds appealing, then a new home in the Northumberland coastal village of Seahouses offers a possible solution. Only a few apartments remain at The Viking, which features homes in a magnificent setting overlooking the harbour.