Whit Week

Whit week is finally over and all the kids have back to school and it's been a bit of mixed week once again. Some day's it's been beautiful and others not, but we have been able to get out everyday which is the main thing and we have some lovely guests on board the boat too.
Some people have seen what the islands have to offer and other have never been before, but it does not matter if you have been there and done it or never seen the wildlife before they are still blow away by the thousands of seabirds and it's beauty. I still get the same buzz every year and it never becomes boring at all.

We have seen a good few Gannets passing through the islands, our first Guillemot chicks hatching, Puffins with sandeels, Kittiwakes on eggs and a pair of our resident Merganser's  together on the Inner Farne. The Arcric Terns are really attacking everyone that now lands on the Inner Farne and a few of them have laid their eggs right in the middle of the walk way, so please be careful were you put your feet as you go around. Black-headed Gull chicks are arriving every day and loads of Shag chicks and all different sizes too. Boy it's all happening now and long may it last.

The next few weeks is all go for the rangers as it will not be long before they start their counts, so it will be early mornings and late nights but it will all be worth it at the end of the season. In the mean time we will have our fingers crossed for settled weather, calm seas and hopefully some sunshine.

In the mean time here is a selection of pictures to wet your appetite....

 

Young Shag chicks and they are the ugly SHAGling really

Some bigger Shag chicks being feed

This one is defiantly greedy

Kittiwakes with eggs 

First Jumpling (Guillemot chick)

Arctic Tern with a lunch for it's young one

 

 

Black-headed gull with chick

 

Black-headed gulls trying to steel the Puffins sandeels

and successfully doing so

I've got my eye on you.

 

Why not follow us on Facebook and Twitter

 

 

Dive Bombing Time

Well its happening once again. Those beautiful Arctic Terns have now laid their eggs so when you arrive on the Inner Farne they will give you the Arctic Kiss as you pass their nests, so don't forget to where a hat or wave your hand above your head as they can really hurt you. Don't let this put you off landing on the Inner Farne as they are great to see and you can under stand why they do peck you as they travel some distances every year. The Arctic tern or Arctic Angels as we call them, are famous for its migration, it flies from its Arctic breeding grounds or the Farnes in this case, to the Antarctic and back again each year, the shortest distance between these areas are roughly 19,000 km (12,000 mi). The long journey ensures that this bird sees two summers per year and more daylight than any other creature on the planet. The perfect example of this bird's remarkable long-distance flying abilities involves an Arctic tern ringed as an unfledged chick on the Inner Farne in the summer of 1982, which in October 1982, just three months from fledging, reached Melbourne, Australia. Assuming a direct route of flight, the distance covered would have been more than 22,000 km (14,000 mi), now that's amazing for such a small bird and this is why we love them so much at the Farnes and remember take care as you walk around the island as they will lay their eggs anywhere. Enjoy these beautiful birds and remember how far they have travelled each year just so they can raise their young.

Farnes Update 9/05/2015

Since my last post the weather can't seem to make its mind up. Glorious one minute and then freezing the next. Flat calm seas and then rough. I just want it to get settled now so we can enjoy good days on the water and our guests don't have to be wrapped up to the hilt.

We have had our first easterly winds of the year, which are not good for us at all, as it goes straight through the islands not even giving you a chance to get out of the harbour. It's bad for me but it must be awful for the birds too.
I know the birds are tough little cookies and just seem to get on with it but it must drive them nuts too. Fingers crossed the weather will improve and everything goes ok for the birds, but in the mean time here is a little update of what's happening.

All the birds are really settled now, with lots Guillemots on eggs and the Kittiwakes have also joined in the fun.
A pair of Mallards have now had 9 ducklings and I have also been informed that the Shags have been spotted with chicks too, boy its all starting to kick off now.
No news on the Puffins yet but with all this rain we have had lately it will not be good news for them. They have been cleaning their burrows and then the rain floods the burrows and they have to start all over again. Fingers crossed it not as bad a I'm painting it.
The Arctic Terns are back in big numbers now but they are not starting to peck just yet so don't worry. The Sandwich Terns has been mating and it will not before they are on eggs too.

Its all change on the islands this year and so far its been really good with some really nice rangers and some old faces too. The guys have now moved into Brownsman cottage as Staple Island is now open but once again the weather has stopped most landings and so far its only been open one day. The National Trust have 12 rangers split between two islands and so far everything has worked really well, so long may it last and onwards and upwards.

Other than that things are going well, but as I say we need the weather to improve so I can get out, our guests can get a chance to enjoy it and the seabirds get a break from this dreadful weather.

The Children's Friend on the rocks at the Wide Opens and it was built by a local man. If you look carefully you can see two rabbits on the boat.

Guillemot taking good care of its egg.

 

Arctic Terns starting to pair off 

Sandwich Terns displaying with each other.

 

Another pair of Sandwich Terns

 

Merganser flew straight in front of the boat.  

 

Staple Island full of Guillemots

The lads are back in Brownman cottage now.  

 

The gulls are always looking for an easy meal.

This Razorbill flew around the boat about four times for some reason and if was not for my phone ringing I would have had a few more pictures.

The Farnes is a very special place and every day we see something different. Boy do I love my job.

Feeding Frenzy

While our guests were on the Inner Farne the other day we were drifting on the south side of the Inner Farne enjoying the calm seas and the sun. Which makes a change. I noticed alot of gulls feeding, but as I glanced around their were lots of feeding frenzy's going on.

I decided to have a little noisy to see what all the fuss was about and with it being calm and sunny the first thing would be to take some pictures.

As I was clicking away I noticed lots of Gulls, Guillemots, Razorbills, Puffins Terns and Shags feeding on tiny tiny sand-eels. I started to take pictures of the birds with freshly caught sand-eels in their bills and then I got a bit to close and they all flew away. When they had gone I could see a black patch in the water and it was the tiny sand-eels they were feeding on, and then all of a sudden a Shag swims underneath them and bang, he had caught them by surprise and with a bill full sand-eels he broke the surface to eat them. It was just great to see and then it was the Guillemots turn.

With the camera in hand it would be a shame not to try and get a few pictures so here we go. Please they are not that good but you will see what I mean.

I suppose at the end of the day this is why the Farne Islands does so well as if there was no food for the birds they would not be here. Just aswell we have lots of sand-eels then.

Tern Pecked

The Inner Farne is just a fantastic Island with lots of different types of birds. I know everyone want to see the Puffins but the Artic Terns are just amazing. Yes I know they dive bomb you and it bloody hurts as I have found out many times myself but there is just something about them I like. It might be the distance they travel, or the way they fly around but I just can't put my finger on it. Its not until they arrive back to the Islands that I think the season is about to begin.
I was on the Island the other day taking a few pictures of the Icterine Warbler when I decided to just sit and watch the Terns. After a while they are not bothered about you, and they just seem to get on with their own life's but they still have an eye on you just incase you step out of order, then BANG! the blood starts to drip down your face and you know you have been Tern Pecked. There is nothing you can do about it and at the end of the day we are on their patch, so we don't have a right to complain. If I was a Tern I would do the same thing, because there would be no way I would travel that distance and not fight for my chick to survive.

I have waffled on now so here are some pictures.

Sunny Sunday

I woke to beautiful sunshine on Sunday morning and I could not wait to get out to sea. After leaving the harbour for our first trip we arrived at Scarcar Island to see lots of Shags, Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers. The Purple Sandpipers looked stunning in the sunlight so I had to get a picture.

Some Oystercatchers with Purple Sanpipers in the back ground.

We steamed over to North Whames to see the seals and noticed David Steel and his gang spraying the seals for the counts.

On the last trip of the day we seen a Merlin resting at Longstone Island and as we watched closely it flew up to the top of the lighthouse and then it was accompanied by another Merlin. It was not long before one pushed the other off and it landed on the T.V. Ariel were the accommodation situated.

On the way home the sun was so powerful that I could hardly see where I was going, but I was a lovely ending to this Sunny Sunday.