Puffins!

Bing and I were woken from very little sleep by my mobile phone chiming ‘Cuckoo’. It was 6am. The picnic was prepared and the tank was full, so we rolled out of bed, filled the flask, loaded the car and set off North.

We were booked on Billy Shiel’s all day boat trip to the Farne Islands, due to depart Seahouses at 10am. We waved at the Angel of the North and stopped briefly at a service station to empty our bladders and fill the rucksack.

The villages leading to Seahouses were very picturesque with colourful gardens and old English pubs. We reached the harbour in good time – shortly after 9am – and parked in the pay and display. Billy Shiel’s kiosk was immediately recognisable from the picture on the website. Our tickets were reserved as promised so, with nothing left to do, we had time to lean against the harbour wall and look at the birds paddling on the shore. We joked that we had now seen so many species, we could save lots of time and money and head home; we could not have imagined how good the day was going to be.

First in the queue, as we so often are, Bing and I watched as Glad Tidings chugged into view. A couple of divers preparing for an expedition were forced to move their equipment from the steps to make way for our 10am group… they must have worked so hard to set up! We claimed a spot in the far corner of the boat. The tour itinery was a two hour visit on Staple Island, a two hour visit on Inner Farne and a tour around the other islands to view seals and birds.

As we approached Staple Island an increasing number of birds bobbed in and out of sight amongst the waves. Puffins, shags, gulls and guillemots (amongst others that we did not recognise) flew overhead to excited calls from all on board. The magic was happening!

As we docked the stench of birds was horrendous. The whole island was spattered with bird poo, as were the twitchers hats! The puffins were pottering around curiously. They were much smaller than either Bing or I had expected. I think this made them more adorable! They seemed so placid; casually jumping up and down rock levels, taking off and landing like characters on a computer game. When they flew, they looked like torpedoes with wings (really fast flapping wings!) and when they came in to land they would pull upright, lowering their legs in front light landing wheels on an airplane. The pufflings were really fluffy and you could see groups sat with their heads tucked in their backs, looking at you from over their bottoms. Speaking of puffin bottoms, we saw a flash of a bottom diving into one of the ground holes. You could see some with dirty bellies from where they’d been burrowing.

Mother shags in their nests did not flinch as we walked around the National Trust laid pathway. I felt quite sorry for one who was subject to a photographer with apparently no zoom facility at all; he was lying on the ground, lens to beak! It is incredible to see some people, plainly thinking that their £5 landing fee has waived all rights of the birds to nest with a little dignity. It was just breathtaking to see countless birds of various species nesting on the cliff face. There was such a racket! We spent some time at the far side of the island, sitting on a rock looking out at the lighthouse and watching birds near and far.

A middle-aged lady was extremely nervous on her feet and having difficulty negotiating the rocky terrain. Bing and I guided her a short way and then set off in another direction. I am quite sure she did not get much further and wonder at how she made it back to the boat.

Our Staple Island goals were
· Puffin in flight
· Puffin with fish

How thrilled we were when Bing captured a puffin in flight with fish! One puffin landed near by, looked really confused, set off in a hurry and dropped its mouth full of sardines.

Back on the boat and we were soon seal spotting. A couple were on rocks, the rest looked like novelty footballs bobbing around on the waves. There were seal heads peering at us wherever we looked!

The onward journey saw rougher seas – we got lashed! Shortly after tucking in to our long awaited sandwiches (in spite of our hunger, we couldn’t face food with the smell of the birds), Bing and I had to hurriedly pack them away again as water began to wash over us. We snuggled under my Berghaus but got absolutely soaked. One of the sailors came and hoisted the buoy at our side of the boat which had been causing the water to splash up. Much hilarity was had by all! The gentleman next to us also got a soaking. This proved to be a great icebreaker and, in conversation, it turned out he was from Surrey but staying with his daughter in Huddersfield! There’s always someone linked to Huddersfield.

Landing at Inner Farne was crazy. As we stepped off the boat we could see the island swarming with terns. Their cries were loud and constant as they swooped and soared against the backdrop of a 14th Century chapel. Ever seen Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’? This is it!

Toilet break was high on the agenda as it was now lunchtime. The toilets were next to the chapel… guarded by the terns. Progress was slow. As we moved along the path we realised why the birds were being so ferocious; the terns had not created nests as such. They had simply sat in the grass, some on the verge of the path, and laid their eggs. Now, as a result, the newborn chicks were sat wide eyed and watching from the path side, some with unhatched siblings next to them. Fluffy little chicks were wandering on the pathway in front of us. The chicks were so tiny that we could not always see that we were approaching a ‘nest’. Suddenly a tern would cry out; then, as we continued to walk, it would fly up changing it’s cry to a clicking sound and attack, pecking our heads until we were out of the danger zone. Some would hover in front just above eye line before attacking. They must have thought they were ten feet tall! There was one tern that I found particularly impressive. Her chicks were sat on the grass verge but hidden by tall grass on approach. As you drew parallel with the chicks, she would strut out in a casual yet determined manner, block your path, crane her neck to look you right in the eye (an achievement for someone less than a foot tall) and give you a clear squawking warning!

Everybody got blessed with bird poo as the air was alive with terns. Fortunately most had heeded warnings to wear hats, hoods or umbrellas. Incidentally, amidst all this chaos the puffins wandered peacefully. Puffins are truly great.

Bing and I laid out our picnic on a lawn next to the lighthouse building and enjoyed it under a clear summer sky. We chose the puffin side of the island as we didn’t fancy poo sandwiches! No bread and marg for the birds today, although I did fantasise about what would happen if I were to throw a slice of bread amongst the foray!

Both the size of Bing's lens and his own height seemed to get him a large share of the hovering and head pecking on the way back to the boat. This made for great photos and video though!

We sat in our favourite spot on the boat. Whilst waiting for others to board we were able to watch a porpoise playing by another boat a short distance from us. This really rounded off the wildlife spotting.

Back at the car we figured that, at 4pm, it was too early to head home; so we drove up to Holy Island and Lindisfarne. The tide was out so we were able to walk up to the castle. We settled on some raised banking for lychees and Chinese tea before heading back to the car for the journey South.

Durham was tantalisingly close en route, so we gave the cathedral and castle a drive-by viewing. The road system and river made this a little frustrating, but the cathedral looked very impressive. Otherwise, the journey was long and arduous with both of us fighting sleep; eating left over sandwiches to stay awake!

What a day though. Absolutely amazing!