It's Windy !

Inner Farne - 04.07.2025

To finish up on the blog post on the recent Farne’s Islands trip. 

I’m back on Inner Farne although the star species on Inner Farne are the puffins the other major attraction you’ll encounter are Arctic Terns, but it’s easy to overlook other stuff rushing about in the brief one hour slot. I’ve manage a second trip so hopefully I can catch up with the other less common species missed first time round.

At the jetty area a Ringed Plover has set up territory, it’s giving the tern chicks a hard time relentlessly attacking any that ventures near it’s nest, it landing on rocks quite close but slightly obscured by a rope, I don't want to move and flush it and I rattle off a few shots, time to move on and spend some time with the terns.

As I walk up the track a pipit calls and lands on a post...it's a Rock Pipit, a few pairs I'm told breed close by. It only stays a few seconds but it's facing in the other direction, I'm holding off pressing the shutter button and then it turns...boom !

This year the Arctic Terns are mainly located only around the church buildings, sitting on walls they are very vocal adding to the the cacophony of noise, just keep your wits about you avoiding the arial attack, oh and the “white stuff”

The wind’s up today much stronger than yesterday so much that I’ve had to remove the lens hood to keep the lens from swing about. After more of the same shots I'm finishing off in the last remaining minuets with the puffins. And that’s it....time over and back to the boat.

See you next year.

Ringed Plover

Rock Pipit

Arctic Tern

Atlantic Puffin

Grey Seal

The Islands

Inner Farne - 03.07.2025

Today it’s the islands, the southern most jewel in the crown sea bird breeding colony, specifically Inner Farne. Gone are the days when you could spend four hours on the islands including Staple Island but since the Bird Flue epidemic the only option now is Inner Farne for a quick one hour dash.

Over the years I’ve had mixed success with boat operators failing land on the islands due to wave conditions which have always been mono hulled boats, so make sure when visiting you choose an operator using twin hulled cats which are far more stable. I’ve posted below an image to help your choice a good one !

First up is a cruise around the outer islands passing Longstone Lighthouse around Staple Island “Pinnacles” rock stacks and back to Inner Farne for the one hour visit. On this trip I've probably seen more Atlantic Grey Seals than in the past with maybe well over sixty individuals, at this time of year a fair few have already made the trip to join the vast numbers gathering on the sand banks on the mainland side of Holy Island (Lindisfarne)

First stop after landing on Inner Farne is always to head up to the cliffs at the lighthouse ignoring the temptation of the terns for another time, this way you get the best location for the best shots before the reminder of the boat passengers arrive. On may way up I spot Steve Race having a quick chat but I have no time for socialising as it's back to the action.

Puffin’s are the order of the day and are everywhere resting often with full bills of Sand Eels, a few Shags, Guillemot’s and even less Razorbill’s. Using the “big white” I’m looking for interesting uncluttered static shots. The light troublesome with bright sunlight then cloud, then bright sunlight, you know in-out, in-out !

Tomorrow I’ll probably try the light weight zoom setup for a few tern flight shots and any anything else of interest. All too soon the one hour slot is over shooting well over 2K of images on the card, I’m sure there’s a few “keepers” in there somewhere.

Seahouse Harbour

The Pinnacle's - Staple Island

Atlantic Puffin

On The Boat

Staple Island - 24.6.2022

Finally we are on the boat with a tourist bit viewing the multitude of seabirds crammed on the rock face as close as four meters ! normally you don't get great shots but it's good to take in the sights, sounds and the smell before heading to Staple Island for a one hour session.

The National Trust continue with the one hour visit which seems to flyby, why one hour I simply don't know. Normally I remain around the jetty as I found this enables a uncluttered clear shot, further up the island you'r shooting down on to the birds, much better to have some sky or green grass behind.

Puffins are the order of the day, Guillemots are so packed together so isolating a bird is difficult. Next up is Inner Farne which is most people favourite island.

Atlantic Puffin

Guillemot

The Farne's Are Open

Inner Farne, Northumberland - 9/10. 7. 21

After a period of closure for well over a year the National Trust have reopened the Farne Islands, well at least Inner Farne and only for one hour. Having booked accommodation at the start of the year it was looking like I would have to cancel all my bookings as access for a second year was looking unlikely, on the other hand with foreign travel all but restricted I thought I'd keep the booking....well its a weekend break away !

I'm doing a little inter web surfing and I'm on the Billy Shield website and low and behold its says the National Trust are opening Inner Farne Islands all be it for a one hour slot the week before I'm due up in Seahouses,  no time time to delay I'm straight on the bookings page and book three slots........I'm on my way !

Landing on Inner Farne what's very noticeable straight away is where are the Arctic Terns ?...none..they have all failed to breed on the island reportedly preferring non accessible outer islands due to the hight of vegetation on Inner Farne, previously the NT wardens would cut down the vegetation before the terns arrive to encourage the terns to breed. 

The next "shocker" is you only have one hour on the island, it's like a competition..."you got a one hour slot...get ready...go" ! Even more a bummer is you only get ten minuets to stay at the lighthouse rocks due to social distancing before your turfed off....but hey...we'er on the island which is completely unexpected.

Atlantic Puffin

Puffling

Now later in the season the young Puffins (Puffling) are beginning to venture out of burrows, very this stage still cautious but with a little patience you can get a view

Guillemot

Guillemot....("Jumpling")

Young guillemots like puffing are beginning to leave the breeding ledges on the islands, this one calling to the parent bird after it had dived startled by the boat

Eider Duck

Last Of The Images

Farne Isles

Last few images not publish previously from a number of trips up to the Farne's over the last three weeks to round off the blog, I will add more images as I often come across images I think...yes, that looks ok how did I miss that !

Arctic Tern & Chick

On my last visit it was very noticeable that the Artic Tern breeding season was almost over with around ninety five percent of the chicks now having fledged gathering in large groups along the shoreline, occasional the mass group spectacularly taking to the air in a crescendo of sound and only a matter of a short time before they depart further south.

This chick was one of only around maybe around six seen on the day that had yet to fledge which was sat a wall, how on earth in got up there I can't imagine but would assume that's where the tern decided to lay the egg, at least it had one of the best vantage points on Inner Farne.

Atlantic Puffin

On landing on Staple Island I don't tend to charge off up onto the island preferring to stay around the jetty where the Puffins gather in social groups relaxing now that the Pufflings (young Puffin) have fledged. I watch this individual for some time picking up and walking around with various bits of vegetation, surly to late in the season to breed so I guess it was just displaying to it mate

The yellow colour in the image is Lichen which covers large areas of the rocks making for a very unusual image.

Sandwich Tern

Around the middle part of Inner Farne you will find the Sandwich Tern colony, noisy, full of action and what appears to us just total chaos. The terns can be a bit distant and you can easily find yourself moving on up to the lighthouse but it's always worth spending some time trying for shots of the terns flying around with a prize fish displaying to it's mate 

Shag

These images again taken at the jetty on Staple Island showing you don't have to venture far to get some reasonable shots. Images taken with the Canon 5D mkIV and Canon 500mm f4 mkII