Getting vismig with it

Another day dawned still and fair so the usual birding before breakfast was particularly enjoyable! New birds in included 3 Jackdaw, 3 Rook, Reed Bunting. While a slight passage of Meadow Pitpit, Linnet represented the vismig contingent.

On the subject of vismig (visual migration), after Whooper movements of late today it was Pink-footed Geese! 380 to be precise, moving through north in skein’s of around 50 – 70, sometimes low over the island!

'Pinkfeet - over our tower

The sea brought more treasures in Red forms. With Red-necked Grebe still present and Red-throated Diver passing offshore – though neither are particularly red at this time of year.

 

Today featured some invert interest as well as the prerequisite ornithological shizzle. After a few micro sightings this week its pleasing to have the ID as Agonopterix alstromeriana – a hemlock feeder (loads here) with 3 potted and another getting jiggy in the chapel earlier.

As well as the micro’s, macro (larger ish) moths were found. Well their larvae anyway! Found during boardwalk maintenance this Ghost Moth larvae showed well on the Chapel wall.

This evening all was quiet after many birds seemed to have moved on, including a lot of the auks that had assembled across the clifftops. Maybe they know something we don’t?! This fighter jet didn’t seem to perturb the few left anyway.

Until next time.

Touring and Scoring

After some power issues I'm back! uh oh watch out.

  

Day 4 dawned cloudy and relatively still, bar the odd westerly gust, once again allowing some good coverage of all Inner Farnes nook and cranny’s with various pics hit up along the way.

Just like the Guillemot decent of t’other day, today (Sunday) was about Puffins! Their impact was immediate and breathtaking….coastal grassland was dotted with parrot faced beauties while some plucky buggers opted for manmade vantage points:

 

Despite the colder conditions, cloud is advantageous when getting on some migration orientated action. And migration we had with a decent northerly Whooper Swan movement including a flock of 38 that I missed while defecating! Compensation followed in the form of 5 then 7 north throughout the day.

Whooper Swans moving back to Iceland

Of course I’m not just here to jolly around freaking over rare birds. I’m a warden and so today begun some prep for the impending season. So we sorted the boats and had a burn around the Islands first visiting Staple Island for Guillemot dodgeball!

From Staple we hit Longstone (which incidentally is where I call home on Scilly) checking the ridiculous concrete patch that held Thrush Nightingale last year!

Thrush Nightingale habo - crippling

Brownsman was the last stop on our tour where a flock of 70 Purple Sands flashed past.

Bird records today involved something for everyone. Scarce was repped by the Red-necked Grebe and Whooper Swan movement. A pair of Wigeon out by Longstone were new while lingering bits included 2 Goldeneye, Blackbird, Wren, Robin, Linnet and Dunnock.

Brownsman

A singing skylark didn’t lingering and like the few Meadow Pipits seen, it was presumed to be moving.

Seabirds continue to increase in numbers and boldness with mindblowingly close views of everything, especially around Lighthouse Cliffs.

 

Last call was Purple Sands at 5ft range by the Churn along with some beautiful vistas which I'll leave
you with.......

Finally. Today was quieter with alittle more Mipit movement and Purple Sand action. The Grebe was again chilling just offshore while a Song Thrush which acted mega rare was new in and a Farnes tick. However todays highlight was the baking hot tropical weather, so nice and begged a sub-saharan migrant, but alas none appeared…maybe tomorrow – Bluethroat!

The price of paradise...

Easy all, hope you're good and enjoying the slow onset of spring as much as we up here on the Farnes!

We have no power so no update today, loads of news and pics tomoz...much love!!

Sunbirds

Having amassed several hundred photos in the last 24 hours I thought I share/force them on you all! Beautiful weather has meant many opportunities presented themselves including some flowering bits and the first large Auk arrival of the year.

View from the Pele Tower looking east

Sea Campion spreading over the ancient walls

Living on an island we utilise renerwable energy as there is no mains anything!

Scurvy Grass beginning to flower on Lighthouse Cliffs

Guillemot were the most conspicuous numbering thousands while Razorbill and Puffin hit hundreds.

What a difference a day makes! 0 - 300+ Razorbills over night!

These Kittiwakes were having a 'gang rape' or assault at the very least

Brilliant visibility allowed some serious sea gazing while fair weather migration began with seeping Meadow Pipits heading north, 2 Skylark and my personal highlight of today – 7 Whooper Swan (see the awful record shot below).

They are in the centre!

A male Grey Wag continued the springy feel while 80 Dunlin, 8 Purple Sands and 2 Goldeneye helped rekindle winter. Other notable Farnes birds included 2 Rook over east along with singles of Robin, Dunnock and Blackbird flicking around the veg patch.

Funnily, and perhaps ironically enough today was equally about corpses with my morbidly obsessed mate Ciaran finding Curlew, Eider, Woodcock, Puffin, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Razorbill entrails with varying degrees of completeness and rot.

Tonight I may well run the moth trap however the largest moon in years might put pay to that! Until then I'll leave you a double-dub mainland view upto the moors, that are still snow covered. Dubbye.

Farne Fest 2011!

Today dawned sunny and still. Just as well as today we sail aaarr! It was a right mish, but many hands and all that so we made quick work of loading, unloading, moving and subdividing 6 months worth of ‘stuff’!

Calm sunny conditions allowed a good amount of birding once we had sorted our luggage with an initial walk around Inner Farne simply blowing my mind.

Spectacular scenery combined with birds everywhere made for a brilliant first afternoon. Shags are already on nests, a few Kittiwake was calling charismatically from their cliff face stanchions and Eider, Guillemot and Gannet were everywhere. The latter were passing at 100 north per 10 minutes.

Pele Tower - my home for the summer

Steely gave us a shout and we emerged to good views of Red-necked Grebe in the Kettle along with my first Puffin (of the year) seen in the evening while today Goldeneye total was 5, all female.

Besides seabird styles it was the calm before the storm birdwise beside the odd Pied Wag so we all just enjoyed our new surrounds including some stonking moon related antics:

All in all it twas an inspiring first day, being here is a real privilege and with views like these everyday will be epic!

Safe as (Sea)Houses

So after a brief but notable gap in updates I join you from Seahouses while myself and fellow wardens are trained up in various bits and bobs. Gotta say real sound group of people, which is good as we’ll be living pretty intimately over the next 6 – 9 months on this glorious place:

The Farne Islands! As seen on my first, gloriously sunny afternoon in Seahouses.

The train journey was predictably uber shit but the warm reception from my aunts, uncles and cousin more than compensated innit! Gotta give those guys and massive shout out/big up for their hospitality and general epic tendencies.

Anyway enough of my shit (not literally). Onto birds, places and pics BOOM! Seahouses is mega (as the Geordies say) as you see from these:

Tons of Eider and 7 Goldeneye were present in Seahouses harbour on day 1 (Sunday) while Guillemot and Razorbill passed offshore in the bright conditions.

A brief family outing for chips n ting resulted in some pretty pornographic Eider action as you can see from these pics:

Right in the bill!

Today brought change with a worthy reminder that it’s not all sunshine up here with almost Baltic conditions slapping my face like a semi-amphibius dolphin travelling upwards of 30mph. Despite this a hardcore of seasonal wardens ran down to the harbour for some sea…or fog watching as it turned out:

Wind, fog, rain and low temperature weren’t enough to deter the 100+ Eider from chillin, illing and spilling in and around the harbour while 12 Common Scoter in it’s mouth were fucking cool to see that close. The highlight of Red-throated Diver was single observer unfortunately as I luckily scoped one heading south close inshore.

Other birds seen include the 7 Goldeneye, a Blackwit, 3 Rock Pipt, 32 Dark-bellied Brent northish plus tons of various gull related shapes raving on the rocks while auky things (Razorbills) zooming past offshore.

We sail to the Farnes on Friday so fingers crossed the weather wont bum us over. Have to say I canny wait!

Dub-birder out.