Day Two was our prebooked trip to the Farne Islands.
The weather was absolutely glorious, and after a typical B&B English Breakfast we made the short trip to Seahouses again, to meet up with the boat.
The North Sea was not quite a Mill Pond, but it was very close, and the short crossing was calm. We were accompanied by numerous sea-birds – all you would have expected… Puffin, Guillemot, Cormorant and the rest. We were given excellent views of the breeding colonies and also the Grey Seal colony, before landing on Staple Island.
Immediately at the landing point there is a large mixed colony mainly comprising Shag and Kittiwake. My immediate impression was “Wow”. Just how close do you want to get to birds – it was absolutely amazing.
There is a roped off “walkway” to the top of the island, where this walkway widens out to allow access to the rocky top – but separates you from the cliff edge colonies and the Puffin colony in a dirt bank.
Even so, many of the Shag were flagrantly disobeying the rules by nesting on the human side of the rope!
The Puffins seemed largely unmoved by the presence of people, probably because there was no access to their colony, the Kittiwake, Guillemot and few Razorbill showed equal antipathy, I expect for the same reason as cliff nesters. The Shag were openly disapproving however, although this only resulted in them shouting at you as you walked past. Also, they have, it seems, a very protracted breeding season, which was evident from the size of some of the chicks, whilst other nests contained eggs, and yet more pairs were still… ahem… trying for a baby!
Packed Lunch was taken on Staple Island, and whilst eating we saw at least one member of the Island’s Rock Pipits (1 pair bred in 2002) which became trip lifer number 1.
Then it was onto Inner Farne, famous for it Tern Colonies.
We landed alongside the beach where the Sandwich Tern Colony was in residence, with some chicks on view. The air was full or terns, mostly Sandwich, returning from the sea with food. The Sandwich terns seemed quite happy to fly around the milling throng.
To get to the rest of the Island, it is necessary to run Inner Farne’s famous gauntlet of marauding Arctic and Common Terns. Both these terns (Arctic far more than Common) breed in the vegetation on the Island. There is a boardwalk, but the birds nest closeby, and in some cases on the boardwalk. It is necessary to watch where you are stepping so as not to stumble into nests. This is not easy, when being attacked from above by sharp-beaked angry parents. Hence the advice to take a hat. More than one visitor was wearing a hardhat, another had an umbrella. My baseball cap provided reasonable protection, but it was still somewhat distracting to be constantly pecked on the head. I resorted to lifting my cap six inches or so, which worked fine for the most part, as they pecked the cap, and not my head… except, of course, when they pecked my fingers! The hundreds if not thousands of Arctic Terns were my first confirmed sightings of the bird, and in a very emphatic way became my second lifer of the day.
Puffins also nest in their burrows in the vegetation, and there are the cliff nesters also as on Staple Island. In 2002 a single pair of Roseates bred, and there are apparently 4 or 5 individuals on Inner Farne this year, but they remained unseen.
Then it was time to return to the Mainland – the water was a little choppier now, but the weather still fantastic. As had been the trip. It’s not inexpensive at £20 per person for the boat, and as non-National Trust members, we also had to pay £4.50 landing fees per person per island – but for even the most “amateur” birder… What an experience!!!
Tea and cake beckoned, after which we decided to continue the island theme, by going to Holy Island.
On the way we stopped at Budle Bay for a quick scan of the sands, seeing a few distant birds! We arrived at Holy Island car park at around 6.15pm, an walked via the village, Straight Lonnen and Crooked Lonnen to the Lough. Perhaps as it was eveningtime, the Lough was quiet, with just a smattering of birds, but including a Mute Swan with chicks, and what I hope will prove to be a Sedge Warlber, when I finally get my photos developed and some kind BFer has confirmed (or otherwise) my id. (For now, it will be shown as Sedge Warbler in my birdlist).
We then walked back to the car, via the Castle, where Fulmars were nesting on the cliff-face beneath, arriving back at the car at about 8.15pm. En route, we got excellent views of Pipits on fence-posts, with clearly defined rear claws. The claws were so long that I managed to convince myself that I’d got my Pipit problem sorted… that is to say, can’t tell one from t’other from t’other!
Anyway, long claw, cracked it… Meadow!!! Lifer number 3!!!
So… to find something to eat. Well here’s a tip. It seems that the folks in Northumberland don’t go for eating out on an evening that much… judging by the way everything seemed to stop serving food at 7.30 or 8.00!!! We eventually decided to go back to Seahouses for fish ‘n’ chips, only to find even the chippy shuts at 9.00! Eventually, we got average fish ’n’ chips in Alnwick, from the “Late Night” Chip Shop… it didn’t shut while… ooooh… 10.30!!!!!
OK, back to B&B and to confirm my Pipit id.
Oh dear, the claws aren’t so different in length as I thought. Mipit? Tripit?? Ripit??? I think I’ll Skipit!!! Back to 2 lifers only.
Hey ho!
Another good set of birds, I am envious that you got mobbed by Artic Terns. Rock Pipit dark legs and Meadow Pipit lighter orangey legs but the light can play tricks.
Getting interesting, Birdman! The thought occurs to me-- nothing personal, because everyone seems to be doing it there-- but is it ethical for all those birders to be marching into tern territory during breeding season? The Little Terns nest on the beaches here, and the areas are roped off at an extreme distance from the birds.
You got that new Pipit book? All you have to do is check the sonagrams to id your bird.