Sunny Days!

Sunset from the islands - a nice finish to the day

Adam Hick strimming the veg garden - ready for Arctic Terns nesting!

Purple Sandpiper - good numbers counted today

Sunday 10th May

Comments: The summer is on its way!! (honest - I haven’t gone mad). The day was a cracker – flat seas (a rarity recently) and the sun shone and everyone appreciated the fine Sunday on the islands. The team were busy, with yet more strimming, as the Arctic Terns get ever closer to nesting and that vegetation needs taking down a peg or two!! Visitors enjoyed both Staple Island and Inner Farne today - a perfect day for visiting the Farnes.

Weather: W switching E 2-3 with bright sunny weather!

Highlights: Great Northern Diver 1 north high through Staple Sound, Grey Heron 1 on Longstone, Common Scoter 58 north, Sparrowhawk female north, Whimbrel 2, Purple Sandpiper 191, Turnstone 353, Bar-tailed Godwit 30, Dunlin 6, Knot 4, Oystercatcher 149, Little Gull 1st summer lingering, Little Tern 52 at roost, Skylark 1 west, Sand Martin 1, Chiffchaff 1, Sedge Warbler 1 singing again and Jackdaw 2 on tower roof.

Breeding birds: A good day as the seabird colonies advance as we discovered our first Shag chicks today! Oystercatcher eggs discovered on nests at two sites – the first this year, Ringed Plover two broods doing well on Inner Farne and a surprising discovery of a nesting pair on Longstone, Arctic Terns copulating, Sandwich Tern numbers increasing at main colony, Kittiwakes copulating and nest building, Rock Pipit with young on Brownsman, Pied Wagtail young now on Brownsman – its all go for one day!

The week ahead…
As easterly airflow is predicted for the week so watch out for rare and scarce birds arriving on the islands – and a few excited wardens amongst the team! The first Arctic Tern nest scrapes will be made by the end of the week and the first eggs soon after. The wardens are due a rematch against the local Seahouses boatmen (lost 2-4 a few weeks ago) on Wednesday evening although if the forecasts come true, I suspect the match will be postponed due to bad seas!