Tuesday 30 September 2014

Ring-tail and Risso's

Ring-tail record shot - today's Hen Harrier

Ringing continues - Rock Pipit (Left), Meadow Pipit (Right)

Juvenile Gannet soaring over the islands (David Kinchin-Smith) 

Auk-tumn's here - a winter plumage Razorbill
Tuesday 30th September comments: September certainly went out with a bang today on the mighty Farnes! Autumn is always an unpredictable time on the islands and today was no exception. Just as the team on Brownsman were settling down to breakfast there was an excited shout as a Hen Harrier flew past the cottage window. This is a rare bird for the islands, this being only the 17th record and the first since 2011. And the shout was followed by an equally loud one from Inner Farne as on a morning cetacean watch a Risso’s Dolphin was picked up in Inner Sound. This is a very rare cetacean for the islands with only 3 previous recent records, and an impressive sight of a dolphin that can grow up to 4 metres in length!

Come out and experience things like this for yourself – no two days are the same out here! With bird ringing demonstrations and daily cetacean watches on Inner Farne, maybe you’ll see one of these sites for yourself. What will October bring!? 

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