Heading North for Seabirds - Other Species from Staple Island

While on Staple Island, although I concentrated mainly on the puffins there are a few other bird species present to keep the camera shutter busy. The isalnd has huge numbers of guillemots although I did not take many shots of them. A moment of 'affection' between a pair.

The guillemots were being kept busy my the constantly circling gulls that were trying to pick off unguarded chicks. Nature in the raw.

A few razorbill were also present.

Number of Kittwake were coming in back in to nests with their characteristic calls.

and numbers of Shag were present and mainly sitting on nests.

Business end of a shag with that unusual green eye
Our next stop on the tour was a 2 hour stop off at Inner Farne Island which is my favourite out of the two landing sites due to the Arctic and Sandwich Terns but that will have to wait for the next post.

Heading North For Seabirds - Boat Journey and Staple Island Puffins

I never sleep well the first night in a new place and so was up at 6a.m and decided to do a quick lap of the harbour before breakfast. The sun was shining but eastward out over the Farne Islands, hung a grey low bank of mist which was slowly approaching. By the time we set sail the mist had enveloped the Seahouses harbour. Give me sun, wind, rain or snow but mist is probably the worst for photography. The boat took its usual route out around the islands but the only photography possible was of some lounging grey seals.We were duly depoisted on Staple Island for 2 hours. A more comfortable landing than Inner Farne Island with the absence of Arctic Tern attacks. Plenty of puffins, guillimots, fulmar, razorbill, shag and kittiwake to choose from. I mainly concentrated on the puffins as potraits seemed a better option than flight shots under the conditions.

A warm welcome to Staple Island.

Always good fun to photograph.

Large numbers of puffins were flying in either with nesting material or sandeels to feed young. Despite conditions being far from ideal for flight photography I couldn't resist.Another clump of nest material heading for a burrow.

For the next installment I will show some other birds that can be found on Staple Island before heading over to the photographs from Inner Farne Island.

Heading North for Seabirds - The Journey and Seahouses

Last week my friend Steve and I headed north-eastwards for a couple of days seabird photography. I am still processing images so the trip will be spread over several posts. Our first destination was Seahouses in Northumbria for a trip over to the Farne ISlands. We decided on the drive up to head across the North Yorkshire Dales to see if there were any curlew or red grouse to be found en route. We found both and stopped briefly to photograph some curlew in flight.

Continuing our journey, we arrived in Seahouses in the early evening, booked into the accomodation and headed straight to the harbour for a short session with the Eider that reside there.

The drake Eider
and some junior Eider

We also took a short walk south from the town and found a low cliff with Kittiwake, Fulmar, Sand Martin and Rock Pipit.

Kittiwake on one of their precarious nests

and Rock Pipit that was gathering seaweed maggots to feed young.

We decided to call it a day and headed back to the accomodation charge the batteries and sort out the kit for the following day's trip out to the Farne Islands, hoping the weather would be kind.

More Redstarts

My apologies for the lack of posts over the past few days but I have been away photographing sea birds. While I am busy ploughing through the images I thought it would be an appropriate time to post some more redstart photographs. Starting off with the female.

It looks like they are feeding young and busy flying around the area collecting various insects. In this case a spider heading for some hungry beaks.

The female is a bit of a poser.

The male in one of my favourite poses for this species, that fluffed up over the shoulder look.

As inquisitive as ever
While waiting for the redstarts, a Dunnock and male Great spotted woodpecker have kept me entertained.

Back Garden Visitors

My back garden has been reasonably busy with birds over the past couple of weeks so thought it about time to point the lens back in that direction. I had a a blackbird nesting in a bush near the kitchen window. She was perfectly happy and sitting on 4 eggs. Her is the female taking a short break from her incubating duties.

Then last week a magpie started visiting the garden. Two days later the blackbird's nest had been ransacked and the eggs gone. House sparrows are nesting in the roof and the first brood has recently fledged. This is one of the new youngsters.

and the male bird.

and some communal bathing.

The occasional starling is also visiting which acts a good splash of colour in the right light.

The goldfinches have been visiting in numbers and the first young are also putting in appearance.

The only other regular visitor of note at the moment is a stunning male greenfinch which are rarely seen in the garden. To date I have not got a decent photograph of this bird has it is playing hard to get.

Reedbed Fun

I set myself a mini project of trying to get some better reed warbler photos this year. They are such tricky birds to photograph as they offer tantilising glimpses between reed stems but getting a clear shot of them require either luck or putting in some hours. As luck was not on my seide the only option was to put in some time.

Whilst messing around near the reedbeds I also came across a sedge warbler. This bird was ringed. I often find that ringed birds are much more confiding, which I suppose maybe a result of the human contact that the birds have had during the ringing process.
and on top of a reedmace head in seed.