At Last

First Shag eggs discovered today

Guillemots now on eggs

Eider numbers increasing daily

Sandwich Terns starting to settle

Puffins back in huge numbers

Monday 29th April comments: It’s been some time in coming but at long last we have seabirds incubating eggs. The season has been late, very late and today we discovered both Shag and Guillemot eggs for the first time this season.


This is the latest first Shag eggs since 1994 and a staggering thirty-eight days later than last season’s first egg laying date. The fact we had Shag chicks this time last year indicates just how late things are. Alongside this, it was the latest Guillemot eggs since 2005 and nineteen days later than last season. However we are underway and things are looking up.

Other breeders are starting to show signs of nesting, as small numbers of Eiders are now sitting whilst Puffins and Razorbills won’t be far away from laying. The Terns continue to build including 4 Little Terns, with Sandwich Terns settling on the main colony on Inner Farne.
Migration has been slow due to blocking winds although a male Redstart brought a splash of colour to the islands today whilst small numbers of warblers are filtering through on a daily basis. As we approach May things are just starting to hot up, hopefully just like our weather…