Wintery Weekend

Fulmar on Brownsman

Shags have started to return

Guillemots back in good numbers

Goodbye: The MV Danio final docks in Port of Blyth

Farnes team visit the outer group of islands

Brent Geese over the islands

Sunday 31st March comments: Its been a productive weekend as the islands finally opened to the public and apart from the wind chill (very cold!!) all went well. The forecast for the foreseeable future looks good, so great news for everyone. The final episode of the MV Danio was finally played out as she berthed in the Port of Blyth, to unload cargo and begin engineer inspections and hopefully this will be the last we hear of her. Its been an epic story but we are pleased it ended well with no major incident.

On the seabird front, the season is finally starting to get underway as Shags, Fulmars and Guillemots have returned although no large numbers of Puffins have arrived...just yet. The blocking north-easterly winds have resulted in very few migrant birds reaching our shores and we still await our first Sandwich Tern (very unusual for us, as we normally have them by 25th-26th March). We also await our first Wheatears and Chiffchaffs (summer migrants) so we await spring with some anticipation.

Highlights: Canada Geese 4, Brent Geese 30 pale bellied individuals, Black Guillemot - one partial summer plumage bird off Brownsman, Peregrine, Merlin, Sparrowhawk, Woodcock 2, Snipe, Goldfinch and Twite - male remains singing on Inner Farne,