Struggling seabirds

No seabirds here, rough at sea.

It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it! David painting the toilets!

Resident artist Andy adding a touch of class to the information centre.

Long-tailed Ducks - Phwoar!

Cheeky male twite showing its subtle beauty.

Monday 25^th March comments: So, it’s been another cold, wild, windy day on the Farnes and the weather woes just keep on coming. Reports of seabirds washing up on beaches along the coast could mean big problems for our breeding population, but we’ll bring a full update on this tomorrow when the full extent is known.

With these new and worrying reports along with the MV Danio still remaining firmly lodged on the islands; it hasn’t exactly been a quiet start to the season! However, the preparations for the islands opening to the public have continued, with plenty still left to keep the team warm on these baltic spring days. We do it all on the Farnes, from home DIY plumbing to building and maintaining boardwalks, to share this special place with over 40,000 people every year.

Birding highlights have included the continued presence of a singing male Twite, another Little Auk (in summer plumage) seen briefly and a female Peregrine terrorising the local pigeon population! One benefit of this lingering chill has been the suite of wintering wildfowl staying local to the islands. Some cracking Long-tailed Ducks have been gracing us with their presence, with eight seen today, along with a supporting cast of eleven Goldeneye and twenty-eight Common Scoter.

We will bring an update on the seabird situation tomorrow. These are worrying times for the wildlife of the islands and we will be here to monitor their success throughout this summer.