MONK’S POOLS – SEAHOUSES CLIFF WALK – BOAT TRIP TO INNER FARNE -BUDLE BAY
WEATHER: overcast all day, cold wind, rain around 4pm. Top temp 14C
Whilst the rest of the country were basking in 30C Northumberland decided to be different, it was dull, cold and windy all day with rain later. However, the birding was probably better in those conditions that boiling hot weather.
We drove to Bamburgh and then took the coast road to Seahouses making one stop to look at the birds on Monk’s Pool. We saw all the usual species there with good numbers of large gulls, both LBB and GBB joined a bunch of Herring Gulls. Moorhen, Coot, Mallard, Lapwing, Reed Bunting, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit and Skylark also went onto the list.
Female Eider Ducks on the quay at Seahouse
Eider Chicks
At Seahouses we parked the bus near the quay and started birding from the harbour wall. Many Eider Ducks were loafing around or feeding out on the sea. We found a few Redshanks, a distant Curlew, a couple of Rock Pipits and some Gannets flew past. We also found the dodgy looking hybrid duck, half-Mallard and half-Eider.
Goosander in the harbour
Walking towards the cliffs we stopped to scan the shingle beach where a warden sat guard, the local volunteers were guarding a nest site of the Ringed Plover, a rare breeder here. Apparently the eggs had to be rescued ten times due to high tides, I can’t imagine a success story coming from this!
Kittiwakes with a single Fulmar in the grass
Along the cliffs we had great views of the Kittiwake colony and a few pairs of Fulmars, they were very active but we could not see a single chick anywhere. We watched the adjacent Sand Martin’s colony too, they nest in a layer of sandy soil in the top if the cliff.
Fulmar on its nest
Scanning the sea from the cliffs we added Canada Goose, Goosander, Guillemot, Shelduck, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Tern and lots more Gannets. A couple of Tree Sparrows appeared briefly too.
We crossed the Golf Course seeing Linnet, Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Pied Wagtail and a bunch of Starlings. At the main road we scanned some arable fields and found a Curlew roost with over 40 birds present.
the group back at Seahouses waiting for the boat
Back into Seahouses we stopped to buy lunch and sat down for a coffee stop and at 12:30 we returned to the harbour to board our boat for our afternoon boat tour. This trip is always special there are so many birds out there it is mind boggling. We spent the first hour visiting one or two of the smaller island, the boat drifted very close to the low cliffs where we watched thousand of Guillemots, Puffins, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Shags, gulls and terns.
onboard
Staple island covered in Guillemots
Your senses were bombarded with smells, noise and movement, it was incredible to see so much activity, how each individual bird finds it way back home is amazing. Rafts of birds sat on the sea, clouds of them flew over us and the cliffs were like Picadilly Circus in rush hour.
mnore Guillemots with Puffins in the foreground
We were taken around the outer islands of Staple, Brownsman, North and South Wamses, we drifted close to some Grey Seals, loafing on the rocks, all blubber and snoring, before we landed on Inner Farne where we were allowed to walk amongst the breeding birds. Of course everyone got attacked by the Arctic Terns and a good hat is essential. We had excellent close views of all the breeding species especially the delightful and comical Puffins.
Puffin
Arctic Tern telling me to buzz off and get away from its nest.
a peaceful Puffin
back on the boat
After enjoying a fabulous hour in this incredible environment we boarded the boat and headed back, it was 4pm as we disembarked at the harbour and it started to rain which curtailed our proposed birding in Buble bay. We did drive there but just sat in the bus, everyone had had enough of the cold wind and birding.
Mike getting attacked by an Arctic Tern