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

Farne Time

Seahouses - 02.07.2025

So it's a return visit to Seahouses on the north east coast of England after a three year absence, a great part of the country with options of great walks in some stunning countryside. The seaside town still looks the same after a few years away a mixture of a holiday resort and working fishing port, I’m happy to be back.

I have a loose plan as previous visits, before venturing out to Inner Farne to spend a couple of hours photographing the Eider Duck particularly in the harbour then it’s out to the islands, so that's the plan for this evening. Eiders are very obliging ducks that often come way to close so it’s better to have an assistant (wife) with you to act as a distraction ensuring the ducks are a little more at distance.

Just like the last few visits the National Trust has restricted landings only to Inner Farne, access to Staple Island probably the best of the islands has now stopped with the excuse to limit the spread of Bird Flue, no matter this gives me the opportunity to experience and reacquaint myself with the warm welcome of the Arctic Tern if you know what I mean, a hard hat is highly recommended.

Anyway back to this evening, I’m laying down on the mud/sand waters edge using a plate and gimbal, the tides incoming and I keep finding I’m actually laying in the water, hey ho, that’s what you do.

Tomorrow I’m of to Inner Farne for Puffins and Tern’s possible something else, who know’s what you might see, watch this space !

Eider Duck - female

See You Next Year

Undisclosed Site - 17.06.2025

This the last visit of the season, well for me it is, for images of probable our most iconic of summer migrants the Common Cuckoo, now more often see only in favoured locations, gone are the days when I would hear them locally.

Weather conditions over the three visits has been a mixture of rain, sun and overcast conditions giving quite a different look to the images, these taken in sunny cloudy conditions.

As previous the process is the same, it's sunrise as I'm making my way to uncut field with tall waste high grass, a location favoured by Reed Buntings and Sedge Warblers and probable target species of the Cuckoo’s. It’s still quite dark as I make myself comfy in a weathered and worn fabric portable hide, nothing fancy at least it will keep you out of the wind and dry if it rains.

With still plenty of activity with a single dominant male chasing several female's around the area of the field along with the inevitable periods of waiting between the action. Not an extensive post this time but you can read earlier posts if you choose.

Images below of the male bird which was the more elusive, unfortunately not the classic cock tail pose.

Common Cuckoo - male

The next image shows a Sedge Warbler taking exception to this female Cuckoo with more images of the female.

Startmount Goose

Starmount Lodge - 15.06.2025

Not so long back there was an unusual siting on a local park lake of a Red-breasted Goose likely an escapee, twelve months later another unusual appearance this time a Brent Goose more likely seen on a salt marsh again hanging out with Canada's on another local lake, or lodge as they call them in these parts.

Dark breasted Brent Geese breed in Russia, Western Siberia wintering in Western Europe and generally the east side of the UK so a little out of normal range. Recent geese sittings that have enjoyed the local hospitality have been a Pink-foot at Birtle (plenty of fly overs) a Red-breated Goose at Haywood and now a Brent Goose at Little Lever all within five miles travel distance, so with this new unusual turn up it's off for some images.

The last time I was at Starmount Lodge was probably about twenty years ago as a rescue diver on a New Year's Day swim one of the funniest events I've ever witnessed, all the yelps and screams from revellers that thought a cold water dip was a good idea to kick off the new year...bonkers !

It's around eight thirty am the light pretty good, so with the sun behind to get some colour in the water I make my way to where the geese are just milling around in the corner of the lodge. Local fishermen start to arrive and the geese get active moving where I just want then, then a Mute Swan take exception to some goslings and pandemonium breaks out, the Brent Goose takes to the air and I'm thinking it's off surprisingly only to circle and land back on the water.

Now with many walkers along with their dogs the geese head to the middle of the lodge and with a overcast sky and deteriorating light time to call time.

19.06.2025....Visit to Bolton, called in on way, no longer present with Canada's on lodge.

Brent Goose 

A Chance Opportunity

Undisclosed Site - 11.06.2025

It’s now 8.30am the session over for today…really !… I’ve had enough as I’ve been up since 2.30am so I’m well and truly ready for a rest, then in a field next to where I’m parked no more than fifty meters away I note about eight Hare’s chasing each other around a field, as I watch I’m thinking there could be a photo opportunity here, so I get the gear back out of the car and slowly make my way over to the field finding a suitable location under a hedge.

The Hare’s take no notice more interested chasing each other along the edge of the field, some disappear through a gate, but one individual runs straight passed me no more than three meters away, it sits for a few seconds, the camera rattles off a few frames before the Hare continues on it’s run to the far end of the field.

As the temperature warms the Hare’s become less active, they just hunker down and sit. It’s now around 10.0am with little or no further action I call time, I really mean it this time, I’m off to bed.

Hare

Last Of The Rain Shots

Undisclosed Site - 10.06.2025

Another early start in the morning for a session with the Cuckoo’s and the weather is forecast for sun which will give the images a completely different look.

Reviewing the images from last week’s session in overcast heaven rain I’m a little surprised how many “keepers” I seem to have, the wonders of modern day mirrorless cameras. So before I head off I thought I’d post a last few "dark' rain images.

Images below are of the female, the male only visiting once whist I was there. Looking forward to something completley different tomorrow and I believe the temperature could exceed 20 degrees…wow !

Common Cuckoo - female

Special Encounter

Undisclosed Site - 03.06.2025 

Most years I always try get at least one session with one of our most iconic of summer migrants the Common Cuckoo before they head off back to their winter areas of Africa.

During the session I witnessed something I hadn't seen previously, the mating male and female Cuckoo, it only lasted about what seems to have been about five seconds, then all to soon it was over. 

Getting the lens on the action with just a little delay I managing about a two second burst, I wasn’t even sure the camera system had managed to get focus, in the end I had about a fifty percent success rate.

As this was such a special event, these are the images that were worth posting…

Common Cuckoo - mating male & female

Rain Rain Rain

Undisclosed Site - 03.06.2025

It’s an early start when I set off this morning, dark and hammering it down with rain. A hours drive later I arrive at my location it’s a little lighter but the rain still persists the sky heavy with menacing dark clouds, I’m not optimistic for any success, but never say never.

I’m sat in “cosy” two man fabric hide that's seen better days in the middle of a field, it’s still raining hard the wind buffering the hide which keeps crashing into me, occasional rain drips on my head, there’s no swivel chairs with cushions like I’ve seen on YouTube recently that’s a different reality and not the experience I’m after…but it’s ok.

The light conditions as you would expect being very early morning with a heavy overcast sky is poor, compromises will require to shoot super slow, the positives Cuckoo’s are likely just sit especially in heavy rain.

Soon a female is seen making a b-line across the field and lands on a near vantage point, flight shots today are off the agenda so it's static shots only. In the poor weather I’m unsure how much activity I’m likely to get and for how long so when the opportunity presents I rattle off the a load of images, as they say....make hay while the sun shines…did I really say that !

After a quiet period a female returns, might be the same one, to my amazement a male follows chasing the female the female landing on a post, the male takes his opportunity zooming in and mates, it only last maybe 2-3 seconds so was easy to miss but I did manage a two second burst, some shots missed but also some keepers.

Below are some of the many shots taken, but I’ll be back next week hopefully in different conditions.

Common Cuckoo - male

Common Cuckoo - female

Mating Male & Female Cuckoo