NORTHUMBERLAND WITH SBBO

The group met up at Fairburn Ings in Yorkshire Sunday lunchtime before moving further north to our base at Embleton and the Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel.
On Monday we visited the Farne Islands,Tuesday it was a free day to go wherever took your fancy,and on Wednesday a boat trip around Coquet Island was followed by a tour down the coast to various coastal reserves.

SPOONBILLS have bred at Fairburn this year.





SPOONBILL ON THE NEST.



TREE SPARROWS also doing well at Fairburn.



TREE SPARROW

TREE SPARROW
The group assembled at Seahouses at 9am for the Farne Island trip...…

RED BREASTED MERGANSER SEAHOUSES HARBOUR.




GUILLEMOT STAPLE ISLAND





RAZORBILL



RAZORBILL

 PUFFINS

 PUFFINS

 SHAG

 SHAG

 SHAG

 LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL

 FULMAR PETREL

 RAZORBILL

 KITTIWAKES

KITTIWAKE

FARNE LIGHTHOUSE





SHAG



CAPTAIN BRIGGS



GUILLEMOT



GREY SEAL Taking it easy.



FARNE LIGHTHOUSE.



GUILLEMOT



GREY SEAL



DRAKE EIDER



ARCTIC TERN WELCOME PARTY INNER FARNE














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These small balls of fluff are Arctic Tern chicks which by the autumn will be flying to the antartic for the winter and will spend the rest of their lives travelling back and forth in almost perpetual daylight.Absolutely a wonder of the natural world.














Be sure to wear a hat on Inner Farne the Arctic Terns are very feisty  and will defend their territory against all comers.





GRACE DARLING MEMORIAL

CHAPEL INNER FARNE

SIGHTINGS BOARD

 BOATS AT INNER FARNE

INNER FARNE LIGHTHOUSE

SOME ARE JUST STARTING.
The voyage back to Seahouses was a tale of endless spume and spray and almost everyone was soaked to the skin when we arrived,interesting nonetheless.

BACK ON DRY LAND.



YELLOWHAMMER Embleton Bay





DUNSTANBURGH CATLE from EMBLETON BAY.

ST CUTHBERTS ABBEY HOLY ISLAND

ST CUTHBERT

NAVIGATION MARK LINDISFARNE



NORTHERN MARSH ORCHID - LINDISFARNE



COCK O THE NORTH.

SHIP INN AT LOW NEWTON.
Next day was the trip to Cocquet Island it was another case of fingers crossed as the wind was still blowing,but the boats were willing and able so off we went from Amble with Puffin Cruises.

WAITING TO BOARD.





EIDER DUCK AMBLE HARBOUR.



COMMON TERN-black bill tip.



SANDWICH TERN black bill yellow tip.



ARCTIC TERN



ATLANTIC GREY SEAL.



LIGHTHOUSE COCQUET ISLAND



THE SECOND BOAT



COCQUET ISLAND LIGHT.
COCQUET ISLAND is the best place to see Britains rarest breeding Tern,the Roseate Tern,there is no landing for the public here to protect the nesting colony,there are plenty of other birds there too including surprisingly Canada goose.



ROSEATE TERN NEST BOXES



ONLY ONE AT HOME.







ROSEATE TERN



ROSEATE TERN



ROSEATE TERN



ROSEATE TERN, just about make out the pinkish breast from which the name comes.



The weather was looking decidedly threatening but luckily it was to the north of us.



A lone Gannet against a lowering sky.

SEASCAPE COCQUET ISLAND

DARK CLOUDS

SEASCAPE

SEASCAPE

DRURIDGE BAY



LITTLE RINGED PLOVER