Looks Like A Grand Day

Inner Farne - 26.6.19

Day two of the trip and again we are on, or supposed to be on, the all day boat trip out to Staple Island and Inner Farne, but as was the case yesterday we are unable to land on Staple Island due to the heavy sea conditions so plan "B" again, the late morning boat with some touristy stuff around the outer islands before the 1.15pm landing on Inner Farne.

Longstone Lighthouse

Longstone Lighthouse famous by the Darling family who were the first occupants of the lighthouse. You may have read the story of how Grace and her father saved five people stranded from the stricken ship the Forfarthshire that wrecked on nearby rocks.

Atlantic Grey Seal - "cow" (female)

When visiting the Farne islands I don't usually get the camera out photographing sea birds on the boat with all the congestion as there's better shots to be had on the islands, that said you don't want to miss the opportunity of shots of the Atlantic Grey Seals basking on rocks at low tide, and if your lucky you will often get groups of up to twenty.

Atlantic Puffin

Once you've landed on Inner Farne the best location to see Puffins, Staple Island being the best, is at the far end of the island near the lighthouse, but first you have to run the gauntlet of the dive bombing Arctic Terns so a sturdy hat is essential.

Making your way along the boardwalk in front of the lighthouse you will come across the Puffin nesting burrows with the inevitable watchful gulls looking to rob the Puffins of their catch before diving down the burrows. At the lighthouse the more usual cliff nesting species can be seen such as Razorbills, Guillemots and Shags along with a few off duty Puffins basking on the rocks further back.

Work in progress, more images to follow....

It's Off...No It's Back On

Inner Farne  - 25.6.19

June/July is always a great time to visit the Farne Islands giving the visitor the opportunity to get close and photograph seabirds that you would normally only see at distance, a trip that never disappoints. If you're planning a visit for more than a few days finding accommodation at the busiest time of year can be an issue so advance booking accommodation is a good idea, the only problem is you can't book the good weather in advance.

It's grey and windy on our arrival and the forecast for the next few days doesn't look that good for getting out on the Farne Isles, checking with Billy Shields all the boat trips tomorrow are cancelled suggesting we check again tomorrow for more up to date information, disappointed we retreat to the Neptune for a fish and chip supper before heading back to the accommodation. The following morning a phone call confirms the boat to Staple Island is cancelled, the good news is the boat to Inner Farne is back on !

With no improvement in the weather the crossing to the nearest island Inner Farne is a little rough but once amongst the islands improves, we take in some sights, sounds and smells of the breeding birds which is always worthwhile, no camera just looking and smelling...just great !

Now landed I am always amazed by how bold Arctic Terns are, hovering millimetres in front of you face, screeching and then diving bombing your head, with only two hours on the island I press on. With it being a grey day I'm not going to bother with flight shots just concentrating more on static shots something a little different, well that's the plan, we'll just have see what pans out.

Yours Truly

If they're not dive bombing you they are sat on your head ejecting excrement all down your back, on our visit getting stabbed on the head was the norm, other areas which were favourite included ears and hands, both hands drawing blood ! ....iPhone image taken by Jan

Quite funny really watching hunched up people with hoods pulled down over their heads running about screaming and shouting..."shoo"

Arctic Tern

Atlantic Puffin

Almost time to leave but I thought I'd spend the last half an hour further towards the lighthouse for some Puffin shots, but more of the Puffin on tomorrows trip.

Dont Ignore The Small Stuff

Play Attention !

Its a short drive of around six miles from the hotel to a woodland edge that proving to be a bit of hot spot for a whole host of different woodland birds, and where there's small birds there's alway predators especially Sparrowhawks, one of my target birds of the weekend.

It's raining on and off, I'm hoping the rain will produce an alternative to the usual images, all I've have to do is work out which settings work best. Redpolls, Chaffinches and Tits are in abundance but just remember when it all goes quite to keep focused as the action is surely about to begin.

With some encouragement of some free offerings its surprising how close birds will venture near which is always good to show the finer detail of the birds plumage. Here's are some of the images benefiting from a clean background of this particular location ideal for photographing birds.

Lesser Redpoll

Wren

Great Tit

Chaffinch - male

Chaffinch - female

Siskin

Last Of The Day

Something Different

It's early evening and been a long day and I've still got the long drive back home later this evening to look forward to, but I've been given the opportunity to photograph Badgers in daylight an opportunity I don't want to miss.

There's three of us sat behind some camo netting providing minimal cover, it's not so important to be completely camouflaged as Badgers don't have particularly good eyesight, you just need to be quite, don't move about and preferably be down wind. Within minuets a Badger appears out of the set followed shortly after by another, now I'm not that experienced with these animals but one looks like a youngster with the characteristic short snout as shown in the first image.

Snout down enjoying some peanuts its not easy to get a clear shot in the long grass but when they lift their heads...boom the camera's busts into action. After some thirty minuets and many images something spooks the Badgers and with amazing speed dive down the set not to reappear for the remainder of our visit.

What a way to finish an all action morning till night weekend to the Scottish Boarders, will I return....you bet, in fact I've already started planning for the Autumn.

Badger

Later Nighters

Watch Your Fingers

Normally after a long day out and about it's back to the pub to recover with a nice cold beer, but tonight I've taken up the option of a night session with a visiting Red Fox. 

After a 7.0 pm briefing I'm in position and ready, the camera's ready but it's still daylight so it's the waiting game. I don't really know what to expect or for that matter what settings are likely to work , I have a rough idea never the less start fiddling with the camera settings, I guess more to pass the time than anything in anticipation of the action later on in the evening.

It's now pitch black the led's lighting illuminating a small raised grassy area, then to one side I see the head of the visiting Red Fox but its ultra cautious, we've been told not to fire the camera shutter until the fox is entirely in the open and then to use only single shot in silent mode as it may spook the animal, finger at the ready....I wait. 

The fox now on the top of the banking sniffs for anything edible all the while looking in my direction, I'm sure it knows I'm there but I'm well hidden in the darkness. I wait for when the fox raises it's head before shooting, but in silent mode the frame rate is slow...so slow so I miss some of the better shots that I'm after.

All too soon it's over, two hours of waiting for five minuets of action...but what action !

Red Fox