The Angel of the North

First of the year...a nice Glaucous Gull flyby (Jamie Coleman)

A northern angel (Jamie Coleman)

Our new postman (Ciaran Hatsell)

Happy Birthday Bobby Pearson

Tuesday 29th November comments: Its been another windy day (the wind picked up to gale force by late afternoon) and with the combination of rain, it wasn't a pleasant day on the Farnes. However this place can even surprise me after all these years and a first-winter Glaucous Gull, five Little Auks, a juvenile Pomarine Skua and a late Black Redstart were real highlights at this late stage.

Speaking of late stage, we are starting to pack the islands down as we hope to leave for the winter this weekend, but the weather may have another say, with gales forecast for several more days yet. However if it continues to bring birds, we're not going to complain.

On a final note, top boatman Bobby Pearson celebrated another birthday (21 again) and although he may support the 'wrong' football team, we'll let him off - have a pint on us Bobby. Happy Birthday.

Storm continues...

Longstone at midnight..the storm rages (Graeme Duncan)

Today, an epic sea (Graeme Duncan)

Staple Island battered (Graeme Duncan)

Sunday 27th November comments: The storm continues and what a 24 hours. Following a very sleepless night (eventually got some shut-eye sometime after 4am) the storm continued to rage across the islands throughout the day and into another night. The cottage has gone unscathed, the boats and island equipment is fine but we still don't know the outcome for our Seals.

It appears many have scrambled clear up onto the islands, although inevitably we will have had some losses. Their plight was not helped by a storm surge late afternoon, where at least one colony, Northern Hares, was being washed over. It'll be a few days before we gain access to the colonies, and it may not be for the faint hearted. The trials and tribulations of the Farne Islands. Its never dull.

Bed time

Sunday 26th November comments: This is no ordinary blog post, but then again this is no ordinary place. The clock has just ticked past 01:39 during the early hours of Sunday morning and I'm wide awake, unable to sleep. I'm in Brownsman cottage, a building which has been here since the turn of the 19th Century and am I pleased they knew how to build things to last back then.

The wind is smashing the islands. It's not just a brisk wind, it's not even a gale, it's gone beyond that. This could be classified as 'severe storm force' and I suspect it is possibly now touching 70mph with nothing stopping it in its tracks. On the mainland, hills and woodlands, buildings and trees help reduce the force of the wind, but not out here, nothing.

Out here, its just brutal. We've living in a former lighthouse keepers cottage, standing on a cliff top, being battered, smashed and pounded from all directions. The main bedroom is built into the attic and we can hear every tile, as they are being almost ripped from their holdings. If I'll get any sleep tonight, I may be lucky and the cottage may be lucky if it escapes without any damage. This is one beast of a storm. I've experienced some big storms in my time out here, but this is up there with the best of them. Mother Nature is certainly dealing us a heavy blow tonight.

However forget my sleepless worries, the cottage will survive (maybe only just) and the islands boats are well tethered down, but our attention should focus elsewhere. This storm may not bring us problems but for one island resident, it could be really bad news. The bad news could be for our Grey Seals, as the pupping season is almost over and with the backing of big tides (currently over 5m in height out here - which is big), the pups could be in trouble. However we'll not know until dawn breaks. Fingers crossed this isn't bad. Oh boy.

Time for sleep...maybe.

Recent photos

Colour varies - second coat pup on Brownsman (John Walton)

Second coaters gather at veg cage (Ciaran Hatsell)

Staple Island Seal colony looking healthy

Ciaran marking a pup (John Walton)

Seal count on Staple Island (John Walton)

Head warden being interviewed by BBC Open Country

Barnacle Goose meets Bull seal (Ciaran Hatsell)

Ladies and gentlemen, start your bidding!

This Tuesday (22 November) the National Trust are opening up bids for an auction to offer you the opportunity to buy a once in a lifetime experience at one of the Trust’s remarkable places. The Trust, who not only look after built heritage but some of the worlds most significant sites for nature conservation, have put together a number of amazing experiences in order to raise funds for their cause, and to offer people the chance to give their loved ones a really special gift this Christmas.

Simon Lee is a Property Manager for the National Trust and is heading up the initiative, he told us: “This is a chance for people to make somebody’s Christmas! We have some fantastic one-off experiences on offer including the chance to host your own Georgian dinner party at Seaton Delaval Hall. The Hall is an 18^th century mansion house designed by Sir John Vanbrugh who also designed Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard, so you could say this is a real chance to step back in time and have your own ‘Downton Abbey’ moment.”

The auction goes live on Tuesday 22 November and has something on offer for all tastes. From romantic gestures including a wedding ceremony at the ancestral home of George Washington or dinner at the top of the first lighthouse in the world to be lit by electricity, to wildlife experiences including a day with the deer warden at Fountains Abbey or an exclusive tour of the seabird and grey seal colonies of the Farne Islands.

The auction is raising funds for the Yorkshire and North East region of the National Trust – the UK’s largest conservation charity - an area rich in diverse landscapes from the Northumberland Coast to the Yorkshire Dales, and including some of the country’s most iconic landmarks including Hadrian’s’ Wall, Fountains Abbey and Lindisfarne Castle.

Start your bidding here!

Behind the scenes

Home for the final few months...Brownsman cottage

View from the kitchen window - a bull seal on the prowl


Post arrives... (Ciaran Hatsell)

Communal cooking for the team - Ciaran cooking

April and Graeme seawatching

The team at work - gravel collection for Tern 'terrace'

Inner Farne closed down for the winter

Friday 18th November comments: The Farnes is a wonderful place, with some spectacular wildlife and amazing sights. However one aspect I don't often cover on this blog, is island life behind the scenes. The team have been living out on the islands since mid-March and have seen and done it all. We've counted over 80,000 pairs of seabirds, welcomed 45,000 visitors and counted over 1,200 seal pups and where still going.

The island team is now down to five members for the final few months and during this time we'll live on Brownsman in the 19th century former lighthouse keepers cottage. The cottage was once home to the Darling family before they moved to the Longstone on the completion of the lighthouse in 1826. However the cottage is now 'home' to the wardens, complete with gas lighting (yes we still use gas mantles) and no running water. The 21st century is gradually catching up with us as we now have the addition of photovoltaic's but otherwise, life is fairly basic.

Brownsman is not for the faint hearted as once darkness falls after 4pm we rarely venture outside as Bull seals rampage across the island tops...a dangerous place to be if you can't see! Its strange to be sharing your back garden with Grey Seals, but we accept it as the 'norm' and just get on with daily life. Work can vary from day-to-day, as the weather dictates our movements but there is plenty to keep us occupied; painting and decorating appear to be the 'in-thing' at this moment.

Otherwise the team of five will continue to live and work out here until early December and then, like everything else on the islands, we'll leave for pastures new. However the season isn't over yet (not by any stretch) but already our thoughts are drifting to next March, when we'll be back, to do it all over again....

The long and the short of it!

Looking at me...Long-eared Owl in Veg garden (Jamie Coleman)

Short-eared Owl on north rocks (Jamie Coleman)

Thursday 17th November comments: Migration is starting to wind down on the Farnes as the last of the summer migrants have all but gone (the only hint of summer was a lingering Blackcap) whilst winter residents are now well and truly settled, with a scattering of Thrushes and the occasional Robin present.

On the sea things are just as quiet with the only noticeable highlight being a Black Guillemot near Inner Farne last weekend. However we still produce a surprise or two even at this late stage and both have come in the form of Owls. Both Long-eared and Short-eared Owls are currently resident and both have found unusual roosting sites - the long-eared decided a disused Kittiwake nest was to its liking whilst the Short-eared chose the north rocks!

We enjoyed the sights of these fantastic Owls on the island although the local Rock Pipit population were less keen on their new residents. So maybe I'll take it back, it's never dull on the Farnes even in mid-November.