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

Third Time Lucky

Staple Island & Inner Farne - 23.7.19

Its back to Seahouses today for a last visit of the season out to the Farne Isles, well you have to get your moneys worth of National Trust membership and as this is the seventh trip for the both of us in a little over a month we are quids in.

Today weather forecast is more suited to Southern Spain with blue sky's and expected temperatures of around twenty five degrees, don't get me wrong I love being at the seaside in nice warm sunshine but when it come to photographing birds it can cause all sorts of issues getting the exposure right "blowing out" the whites or just loose all colour in the harsh sunlight.

After my last abortive trip failing to get on Staple Island once again I'm back at the harbour for the 9.30am departure full of expectation today is the day I finally make it. I'm always amazed that these mid-week boat trips are so popular with today being no exception, the boats chock-a-block full of the usual suspects, European tourists enjoying the sights and sounds not usually found in other parts of Europe and of course people of leisure....like me.

Before I get into the report I thought I'd touch on what I lens I generally use. Recently I read on a forum I sometimes visit on recommendations on camera lens for photographing birds at such close distances, some prefer "going light" with lens up to 300mm but personally I like to use a 500mm f4 on occasion with the 1.4 extender giving better bird to background separation, for flight shots I use the flexibility of the 100-400 zoom, but this a personal preference and other people may go a different route, but I have to admit sometimes I wonder lugging all the gear around....is it worth it.

Well it looks like we are going to make on to Staple...third time lucky !

Work in progress...... 

Atlantic Puffin

Sandwich Tern

Next up on the days activities is Inner Farne, after landing you immediately enter the "danger zone" !....the main Arctic Tern breeding area where dive booming by the parent birds trying to move you along is the norm, but as this is not the first visit of the season to Inner Farne I'm pushing on up to the lighthouse. 

On the way up at the centre of the island is the location of the noisy Sandwich Tern colony where terns fly around constantly calling whilst carrying a fish they aren't prepared to give up, land with more fish waving only to promptly take off into the air again, managing few images of the aerobatics it's time to press on.

Rock Pipit - juvenile

Keen too push on up to the lighthouse to get one of the few unobstructed positions on the small viewing area I'm the first to arrive and straight away pick up a juvenile Rock Pipit calling incessantly on the nearby rocks, the ranger tasked to make sure we all behave confirming they had successful bred nearby. The sunlight is harsh, oh for some nice cloud cover..I manage some images and within a minuet or two the pipit disappears over the cliff edge...now that was a lucky start !

Eider Duck - female

Returning back to Seahouses after your days island hopping it's always worthwhile on a low tide visiting the small bay at the back of the harbour where you can usually find Eider Duck feeding amongst the rocks, they will even come investigate if they think there's some free offerings going, surprisingly thou I see that many males and one image of a male in full breeding plumage would be just fine.

Eider Duck - juvenile

Couple of images of one of the juveniles that were in tow of two females.

Starlings !

Garden - 10.7.19

After a couple of abortive visits up to Malham in the Yorkshire Dales to try and replicate some of the fantastic images seen recently of the newly fledged Peregrine Falcons, I'm having a more relaxed day at home to sort some gear out and do a little image editing.

It's raining off and on but that doesn't seem to stop the Starlings from emptying the suet and fat ball feeders on a daily basis. Juvenile Starlings unlike the adults are not the most stand out of birds in terms of plumage, but I've noticed a few wet individuals carrying out some maintenance which might be worth getting the camera out.

With the patio door open and TV on in the background I'm doing a spot of multitasking, some image editing, keeping tabs on the tennis and when the opportunity presents itself some photography. There must be twenty noisy Starlings all squabbling for a prime spot on the feeders, so with 500mm lens on the 30mp 5D4 the images are frame fillers in the camera.

In the light rain one or two individuals are busy untangling some of the saturated plumage, something a little different to the usual pose. Sometimes you don't have drive endless miles to get an image, bird photography in comfort, right another cup of coffee !

Juvenile Starling

Juvenile waiting for the adult to shove food down it's mouth, I would have shown the adult but I chopped its tail off !

We're On Our Way

Seabirds of the Farne's - 26.6.19

Short clip of some of the seabird action before we head to and land on Inner Farne.

It's A Grand Day

Farne Islands - 3.7.19

Today I'm back on the Farne Isles but this time rather than more shots of terns I'm going to concentrate on some of the other bird species such as Puffins and Guillemots I missed on my previous trip. As we leave the harbour at Seahouses there's really no sign of what's to come nearing the islands just a few Eider Ducks with this years young in tow, but as you near Inner Farne....boom....masses of sea birds....the sights, the sounds, the smell just amazing.

First stop is to take a closer look at the thousands of sea birds on the cliffs on Inner Farne now painted white with months of guano, I have the camera with the 100-400 at the ready but I'm more intent on just watching all the activity a sight that's like no other, everyone should visit a sea bird colony at some point, you won't be disappointed.

Sailing between the islands gives the opportunity of flight shots of the many returning sea birds bills filled with sandels from fishing far out at sea, you can get overwhelmed with the amount of targets and if your not careful find your self just waving the camera about blasting aimlessly, the best tactic is to pick out a single bird at a distance and track it as it travels towards you, then when in range shoot a burst hopefully with some success better than five percent !

Bamburgh Castle

Inner Farne

Bridled Guillemot

One of the first shots of the day is of a Guillemot, tracking the bird as it comes towards me it veers off at the last minuet as it nears the boat giving a great angle for the image, it's only when I review the images later noticing it's the scarcer Bridled Guillemot...how lucky is that ! 

I understand Bridled Guillemots on the Farne Isle's are around ten percent of the guillemot population increasing in numbers the further north you travel.

BirdGuides.com - 10.07.19

Just found out the above image has been awarded a "Notable Image" in BirdGuides "Image of the Week" photo competition.....link below.

Many thanks to BirdGuides

https://www.birdguides.com/articles/photo-of-the-week/photo-of-the-week-3-9-july/

Atlantic Puffin

On Inner Farne I weave my way through the masses of people embarked from an earlier boat now being bombarded by the Arctic Terns towards the lighthouse, if sea birds are your target and not terns on this island it's always worth doing this first and getting one of the few prime spots as the viewing area isn't particularly large.

This is a great location to get flights shots of Puffins as once they fed the young they fly towards you before landing on to the rocks gatherings in social groups before heading back out to sea.

As I'm blasting away I hear voice I recognise from a gent stood next to me, it's the Arthur Morris of https://www.birdsasart.com...(go check his site out) who's leading a group over from the USA, we briefly chat shake hands and get back to work, did I say work ?...well not really.

Work in progress....

I'm Back

Seahouses - 2.7.19

After last weeks rain affected visit to the Farne Islands never actually making it onto Staple Island I wasn't going to be put off and a quick return was always on the cards, so checking the weather forecast for the coming week I'm back, hopefully this time making it onto Staple Island.

Checking in with Billy Shields that all's well for tomorrow we spot a group of Eider Duck in the harbour, like Mallard on the local pond they come and investigate if we are prepared to share some of the ham sandwiches Jan is carrying...that's photo op number one sorted...tick

The light isn't that great but its a fun session getting close and listening to the Eider "cooing" like call right under your feet...and way too close really when your wheeling about a 500mm lens.

Eider Duck - female