Here comes the sun?!

Fulmar enjoying the sunshine! (Ciaran Hatsell)

Resident Ranger Graeme Duncan welcoming visitors to Inner Farne (Ciaran Hatsell)

Death on the rocks, Shags struggling (Ciaran Hatsell)

Wednesday 3^rd April comments: It’s been a cracking day on the islands as the sun finally came out and shone upon the mighty Farne Islands! It was a great day with plenty of Puffins around and a nice selection of migrant birds. It was great to share it with you all!

The sunny weather even encouraged two Small Tortoiseshell butterflies to take to the wing, the first of the year! A Grey Wagtail and the first Greenfinch of the year got the ball rolling this morning and then a great surprise came in the form of a Short-eared Owl! Representing the first spring record since 2009, it flew up from a clump of vegetation and flew along the cliff, disturbing the resident Kittiwakes!

Another worrying discovery was of a dead adult Shag, found in breeding plumage having apparently died of starvation. There are still very few Shags around the islands and finding an adult on the breeding colony in such poor condition is not a good sign. There are still plenty of breeding birds about though and those that are here will be grateful for their day in the sun!