Everything must go - the long haul starts

Saturday 19th March comments:
Where back and it’ good to be here. Following the ‘usual’ week of mainland based training we eventually sailed to the islands on a glorious Friday morning. The team, a mix of returnees and new faces; packed, stacked and filled the boat and we departed Seahouses just after 10am, and sailed across Inner Sound, island bound.

It wasn’t long before we arrived on Inner Farne and we spent the day moving equipment and personal belongings up to the Pele Tower before settling back into island life. We couldn’t have asked for a better start, with glorious sunshine and very little wind resulting in a great way to spend the first day back on the islands. With more settled weather predicted, we could get very use to this.

On a bird front, there were plenty of Guillemots and Razorbills present with a handful of Puffins noted. Shags appear to be well ahead of the game, with some reasonably large nests already constructed (it’s going to be another early start to the season), whilst Kittiwakes are present in good numbers.

Away from the breeding birds, the islands have produced a few noticeable highlights including a lingering Red-necked Grebe, both Peregrine and Sparrowhawk have been seen hunting the area whist seven Whopper Swans moved north today (Saturday 19th March).