VERY distant Whooper Swans flying north over St.Cuthberts Chapel, Inner FarneThe Farne Island warden team return for another season - a full round-up will be given in the near future.
Saturday 21st March
Highlights:
Whooper Swan 4N, Goldeneye 8, Long-tailed Duck 3, Lapwing 1W, Short-eared Owl 1 west, Peregrine 1, Wheatear 1 female - first of the year, Blackbird influx (25+), Snow Bunting 1N, Goldfinch 1.
Mallards discovered one eggs - two nests - 11 and 10 eggs, very few Puffins or Guillemots, Shags and Cormorants present in good numbers, Pied Wagtail and Rock Pipits singing.
Porpoise 3 in Inner Sound, Small Tortoiseshell butterfly, Lumpsucker fish predated by GBB Gull
Friday 20th March
Highlights: Wardens return to islands!!
Whooper Swan 35N (a Farne record count), Peregrine 1, Woocock (flushed), Red-breasted Merganser, Snipe,
Huge numbers of Auks - Puffins galore on the islands, Guillemots on cliff tops, Shags on well built nests.
Short-eared Owl west? Expectation would be for them to be going East at this time of year. Was it moving from one island to another or back to mainland?
ReplyDeleteOhh goody you're back! And a lovely long list of interesting wildlife for us. Look forward to more updates soon.
ReplyDeleteLike the atmospheric Whooper shot! Not a bad start to the season, I'll still be slightly dreading it when it goes easterly and I see your name on my phone!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with it all, speak soon.
A most appropriate day for returning to Farne! I link to this blog from my St. Cuthbert blog. http://stcuthbert.blogspot.com
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