Fish Food



Look carefully...sand-eels galore in the beaks of the Gulls! (David Kinchin-smith)



Food galore (David Kinchin-smith)

Kittiwakes getting there fill (David Kinchin-smith)

Kittiwake line (David Kinchin-smith)

Success; full Kittiwake (David Kinchin-smith)

Tuesday 5th August comments: It’s very plain and simple; Sand-eels, the bringer of life. These small silver fish are the linchpin to life on the Farnes and without them this place would not be what it is. The vast numbers of seabirds (all 85,000 pairs & chicks) all depend on this valuable food source and it’s been a real bumper year for them.

As a result huge numbers of chicks have been fledging the islands in recent weeks and it’s been a similar story along other east coast seabird colonies. However as well documented, things are on a knife-edge as if we lose these valuable fish we’ll lose our nesting seabirds. Everything from climate change to over-fishing can have an impact and that is why it is important we do what we do on the Farnes; monitor, protect and manage.

The Farnes is a very special place and long may it stay that way.