Farne Islands (Sat 12 Jun 2004) (1 Viewer)

Took my daughter for a trip to the Farne Islands last weekend, to experience the terns. Regular readers of my outback reports will know she has become quite interested in birds lately, such that she can spend a good deal of time enjoying them. She still has many other interests, and she is more interested in Nature as a whole than birds in particular, I think… but that’s no bad thing.

Anyway, we had a good time, and she enjoyed herself – although she did find the Arctic Terns rather intimidating!

What clinched the island trip for her though, were the jellyfish and comb jellies by the Inner Farne slipway (and also later in the harbour at Craster). The comb jellies were fantastic, with the rainbow effect from the interference caused by their cilia!

We had a full Saturday, as well as the trip up on Friday, and half a day plus the trip down on Sunday, and my daughter made a stirling effort keeping the list going. We were on the wrong side of the boat when the Manx Shearwater flew past (harumph!), and for some reason we didn't spot the singly Roseate Tern on Inner Farne!

The fruits of my daughter's listing labour are as follows.

Species

Arctic Tern
Blackbird
Black-headed Gull
Blue Tit
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff
Collared Dove
Common Tern
Cormorant
Eider
Feral Pigeon
Fulmar
Gannet
Goldfinch
Great Black-backed Gull
Grey Heron
Guillemot
Herring Gull
House Martin
House Sparrow
Jackdaw
Kestrel
Kittiwake
Lapwing
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Linnet
Magpie
Mallard
Mute Swan
Oystercatcher
Pheasant
Pied Wagtail
Puffin
Razorbill
Red-legged Partridge
Rock Pipit
Rook
Sandwich Tern
Shag
Shelduck
Skylark
Starling
Stonechat
Swallow
Swift
Tree Pipit
Woodpigeon
Yellowhammer

Hi Dave,

Not had a chance to get up there myself this summer - what's the news from the wardens on breeding productivity?

Interested to know, given the news reports of a disastrous breeding season at many North Sea seabird colonies due to a collapse in plankton populations (global warming), but seawatching I've done in Northumbs, birds seem to be fishing OK

According to The Observer today*, the North Sea water temperature has risen 4° over the last few years - a huge rise in such a short period

* http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1243152,00.html

Michael

Hi Michael,

Didn't get anything by word-of-mouth, but visually there seems to be a larger colony of Artics nesting.

Last year the Sandwich Terns were all over the beach near the slipway on Inner Farne, whereas this year they seemed more scattered, with some birds nearer the top of the island.

No Roseate pairs, as I know you already know, but apparently a single individual.

Also, on Staple Island, I got very much the impression last year that the Shag colony was producing a lot of single chicks... this year, there were plenty of 2s and 3s... likewise the Guillemots.

Hi Dave,

Thanks; it'll be nice if the Farnes buck the poor trend (it has happened once before, when Shetland had a bad year, the Farnes did well, tho' that year Yorks also did well, which apparently it isn't this year)

All the Roseates are on Coquet Island now (70 pairs last year) I should be able to find out how many this year in the next week or two.

Michael