Farne islands (1 Viewer)

Its a bit short notice but ive booked a couple of days on th Farne Islands for this Wednesday & Thursday with the main purpose of bird photos but the weather forcast doesnt look to good and as this is a bit of a longway from Surrey(about 750 miles round trip)do you think its going to be worth the trip and if the boat isnt sailing is there anywhere else to go bird watching in the area.If we go we will be staying at Bedlington is there any where local to there to birdwatch.If i dont go this time the next chance would be 11th-14th July do you think this would be to late for Puffins Razor bills etc.Thanks for any info.

Hi Graham,
Indeed weather looks ropey for the forthcoming few days and seems a helluva way to travel for a possible washout. There is Holy Island but it is mid June and that may not hold too much. Can't say about the chances of the boats being out and I am sure some local birders may offer other suggestions.
Personally, I'd spend the days more locally, save fuel and cash by staying at the £4 a night Dungeness bird observatory and getting a possible lifer or two.
Not 100% sure, but mid July may be getting close to missing the Farne Island birds, certainly in their main numbers and at their best for photos
Apologies if this reply appears to be a little on the negative ticket.
regards,
Jono
Edit PS: Give Billy Shiel an email or ring to glean more info on weather and trips see:
http://www.farne-islands.com/index.htm

Ragna said:

Its a bit short notice but ive booked a couple of days on th Farne Islands for this Wednesday & Thursday with the main purpose of bird photos but the weather forcast doesnt look to good...........If we go we will be staying at Bedlington is there any where local to there to birdwatch.If i dont go this time the next chance would be 11th-14th July do you think this would be to late for Puffins Razor bills etc.Thanks for any info.

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Hi Graham

Weather forecast looks decidedly ropey for Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. If you do come up at some point then there are a lot of good birding sites close to Bedlington; West Hartford, Bothal Pond, Longhirst Flash, Linton Pond, Choppington Woods are all within 5-15 minutes driving time. I only live 1 mile from Bedlington so feel free to PM me if you are heading up this way and I can point you in the direction of these sites. mid-July is potentially leaving it a bit late for the Farnes. I've led some very successful trips there in the second week of July and there should still be birds there, but nowhere near as many as in mid-June.

cheers
martin

hi graham
good local sites martin have mentioned...also abit further up the coast, but in the area- cresswell pond,duridge pools, east chevington...or go south- washington wwt, marsden coastline(south shields) kittiwakes and growing razorbill colonies along with fulmars and cormorants..
pm for more info
steve egg

Thanks for your replies still going to go and chance our luck if its no go on the Farne Islands then we,ll try a couple of the places that you lads have come up with thanks again.

martin kitching said:

Hi Graham

Weather forecast looks decidedly ropey for Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. If you do come up at some point then there are a lot of good birding sites close to Bedlington; West Hartford, Bothal Pond, Longhirst Flash, Linton Pond, Choppington Woods are all within 5-15 minutes driving time. I only live 1 mile from Bedlington so feel free to PM me if you are heading up this way and I can point you in the direction of these sites. mid-July is potentially leaving it a bit late for the Farnes. I've led some very successful trips there in the second week of July and there should still be birds there, but nowhere near as many as in mid-June.

cheers
martin

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After a whole lot of bad weather and 1 previous washed-out visit, I finally spent 1/2 a day on Farne last Sunday. I hope to come back again in mid July (i.e. around 15 July onwards).... will the Puffins and Terns be there (even if in lesser numbers?

Even if you don't land, a sail around the island can net you photographs that you would not be able to get while on the island itself. I got a nice one of a Puffin running across the water while taking off to avoid the boat

Ragna said:

Thanks for your replies still going to go and chance our luck if its no go on the Farne Islands then we,ll try a couple of the places that you lads have come up with thanks again.

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I hope you ignored the weathermen and made the trip after all. Tuesday was beautiful and after overnight rain that cleared by breakfast yesterday defied the forecast and was another beaut.

Today, cloudless skies and warm sunshine, again the opposite of what they forecast. Where do these weather forecasters come from?

Well the weathermen got it wrong again. Today (Friday) has been another belter. T-shirt weather despite what'shermname with the silly hat at Ascot this morning on the BBC telling us that it was grey and damp here and likely to stay that way.

It's just after half past eight and some mist's just rolled in from the sea. Apart from that it's a lovely mild night.

Here endeth the weather from Northumberland, I'm off down the pub.

hope the weather man gets it wrong for sunday too....i am booked up...! for the all day trip

Thanks to all who replied ,after changing our minds 3 times on Monday finally decided to go and drove down on Tuesday first to Eyebrooke reservoir for a Whiskerd Tern Dipped on that then on to Bempton to get some Gannet photo,s didnt even get my camera out as there was a heavy sea mist,did manage to tick Tree Sparrow for my year list.Finally arrived at where we were staying at about 19.30.AwokeWednesday morning to very heavy rain(was begining to think we had dropped a bit of a bollock) but as Seahouses was only about 40 miles away decided to go and have a look anyway.By the time we reached Seahouse the rain had stopped and been replaced by a sea mist so the morning trip to Staple island was cancelled but the boat to Inner Farne would go at 12.00.By the time the boat left at about 12.15 the sun had come and gone twice the seamist had come back twice and as we got on the boat had come down for the third time so the trip out a round the islands was rather misty.But as we landed on Inner Farne the mist lifted and the sun came out for the rest of the day.Thursday the weather was even better and we managed to get on both islands.In 20 years of bird watching this was my first trip to the Farne Islands it wont be my last i intend to try and go every year as this is the most amazing place.

Seggs hope you managed to get out to the islands to today and the weather was better up there than its been down south today (rain most of the day)

farnes today

hi
went today..weather brilliant..not like the weather forcast said..
i live not too far from here and try to return most years once..this time was really special to me and my other half..as last year we unable to land on both islands..but this time everything spot on..
loads of chicks..
will never tire from seeing seabirds on a mass scale like this!!
post a pic or two!
and i am sun burnt! lol