Planet Farnes, Northumberland

Our annual pilgrimage to the Farne Islands took place in mid-July, 2014. Once again it was an all day affair, courtesy of Billy Shiels boat trips, out of the harbour at Seahouses, Northumberland. Boarding the boat at 9.45am meant an early departure from Gods Country, at 7.20am, to be precise. We hit Seahouses just before 9 o' clock and headed straight to the local bakers shop, where we had breakfast, in the shape of a bacon and egg stottie. Just what the doctor ordered. Then it was a simple case of paying for our pre-booked tickets at the kiosk, although there's nowt simple about parting with £48 in the blink of an eye. That's the entry ticket for one plus one, and seeing that this whole affair comes around once a year, what the hell, let's get over to the Farnes and take it all in. And what a hive of activity it was, as expected, thousands of breeding birds in full flow, it was noisy and it was certainly smelly, and that was just my arse after scranning the bacon butty!!!!

And so we set off, heading towards the Farne Islands on a boat packed with people from all over the world. Again, it was camera equipment overload and there was a nation of it, worth thousands upon thousands of pound notes (or Euro, whatever the case may be). We were packed on board the Glad Tidings vessel like sardines in a tin, which came as no surprise really, it's like that every year we attend. Our tour of the islands was accompanied by the very informative captain, who's knowledge of the area and the breeding seabirds is well established. Then we hit the business end of the trip, our first landing, on Staple Island. From the boat we were led up the steep steps where the National Trust Rangers were waiting, taking payment from those who weren't holding a valid membership card. £6.80 for me and £3.75 for Chris! Ouch, and we had to do it all again on our second landing, at Inner Farne. Good job I was holding a pocket full of shekels!

Numbers of breeding birds were thriving, such as Puffin, Guillemot, Shag, Cormorant, Razorbill, Terns & Gulls. We saw a nesting Fulmar too, quite a rare sight on the Farnes. Our landing on Inner Farne had the customary welcome - the attack of the Arctic Terns, dozens of them! Well prepared for this as usual, with the baseball cap to take the sting out of those sharp pecking bills. If you stood still for more than a few seconds the Terns would have no hesitation in standing on your head, which was respite from their usual behaviour on the stretch of path leading to the Visitor Centre. And it was this area where activity was frantic, between the Centre and the toilets, where me n' Chris were dive bombed on countless occasions.

From here we headed off and over to the lighthouse, where dozens of Shags were nesting on the cliff face. I pulled in some decent shots here, including Puffins in flight. This was the last part of our visit as it was almost 3pm by this time. The day has flown by (no pun intended). I've added a few of my favourite shots of the day, all shot on a Canon 5D3, with 100-400mm L and a 24-105mm for close up shots. Hope you like them .Until the next time, catch ya later...
AC

Farne Islands, Northumberland

It's been a few years since my last visit to the Farne Islands, so I was looking forward to another boat trip from the nearby harbour of Seahouses across to the bird sanctuary in high season. Thousands of seabirds breed on the islands each year, which attracts people in their droves who pay a visit to get much closer to nature. Firstly, a brief insight to the islands -

The Farne Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England. There are between 15 and 20 islands depending on the state of the tide. They are scattered about 2.5–7.5 km (1½–4¾ miles) from the mainland, divided into two groups, the Inner Group and the Outer Group. The main islands in the Inner Group are Inner Farne, Knoxes Reef and the East and West Wideopens (all joined together on very low tides) and (somewhat separated) the Megstone; the main islands in the Outer Group are Staple Island, the Brownsman, North and South Wamses, Big Harcar and the Longstone. The two groups are separated by Staple Sound. The highest point, on Inner Farne, is 19 metres (62 feet) above mean sea level.

Every year, between the months of May and July, the Farne Islands is an impressive seabird city. Naturally, with excessive numbers of birds on the islands this place is very noisy and smelly during the breeding season, but that doesn't deter the average visitor from making the most of their experience. Today I travelled with my son Christopher, who'd been looking forward to this day for some time, given his big interest in bird life, which made my experience even better. We pre-booked our places on the boat trip, which was all day affair, so we needed to leave home at 7.30am in time to catch our boat which sailed out of Seahouses at 9.30am. Of course, we checked the weather forecast before booking the trip, so we knew we were in for much sunshine, which gave us something else to look forward to. Quite often the weather plays its part and occasionally the tour operator cancels sailings because of it, but no such drama today as it was sunshine and warm temperatures all the way. We arrived at Seahouses at 9am, giving us ample time to park up before making our way down to the harbour. We paid and collected our boarding cards then waited for our boat, which arrived bang on time. We were at the front of a large queue, so we had pick of the seats once we boarded. By the time everyone else had joined us the boat was crammed with around 45 people, plus the 2 man boat crew. And that was it, we were off and running.

Our boat, Glad Tidings V, swiftly headed towards the islands. The all day boat trip is particularly suitable for the ornithologist/ photographer who wants to spend more time observing the wealth of nesting species. This trip only runs during the breeding season and lasts approximately six hours (two hours on Staple Island on the morning, and two hours on Inner Farne during the afternoon. The other two hours includes a cruise around the islands to view the nesting birds on cliff faces and the Grey Seal colony at several vantage points. Inner Farne and Staple Island are major sanctuaries in the UK for approximately 22 species of breeding sea birds, including Guillemot, Razorbill, Eider Duck and 4 species of Terns, not forgetting the small detail of 70,000 puffins!  

Our first point of call was the cliff faces at Inner Farne. The boat engine was temporarily cut as we took in the sight and sounds of the nesting birds. The skipper commentary was interesting enough, although most people at this point were snapping away with their camera's and seemingly taking little interest in it. From Inner Farne we then headed out to Staple Island, through Staple Sound, then onward to Brownsman, Bluecaps and Longstone, the furthest point of the boat tour. After circling Longstone we were now heading towards Harcars, passing Grey Seal as we went, plus many species of birds which were flying low near the surface of the North Sea. Apparently a Minke Whale was spotted near the Farnes two weeks before, and although the skipper asked us to keep our eyes peeled for it, the animal didn't appear. We had been on the boat for an hour and our first landing was coming up shortly - Staple Island. As this is a National Trust property a landing fee applies, which works out at £6.40 per adult and £3.20 per child. Obviously the same figures apply to the afternoon landing at Inner Farne, so the cost of your day out can work out quite expensive, unless of course you know someone who has a NT membership and he lets you borrow it for the day (wink). The sea was very calm today, so we had no problem getting off the boat and leaving our sea legs behind for a couple of hours. A queue formed as we stepped onto Staple Island, as most of the trippers weren't members of the National Trust. Those who were members were fast tracked past the queue before making their way up the entry path towards the action.

Staple Island is very flat and rocky. The numbers of Shag were well down compared to my last visit in 2008, and this was evident on the rocks where I only managed to see around half a dozen nesting pairs. This area was awash with them five years ago. There are no facilities on Staple Island so most people take a packed lunch, which we did, and it nice after an hour or so on the island to sit our arses down and take advantage of our packed goodies. After our pit stop we hit most corners and outreaches of Staple, pulling in a few decent shots of flying Puffins en route. Razorbills and Guillemots were top heavy as they gathered in their thousands on the ledges and outcrops that were readily available. Many were lined up, facing the same way and sheltering their single pear-shaped eggs, which was quite a sight. Almost everyone carried a camera of some description. I photographed a group of 'Big Hitters' who were positioned nearby and those customers were carrying some expensive kit. There wasn't a telephoto lens with a reach of under 400mm, so these punters were almost guaranteed the cream of the crop, as far as photographs are concerned. Me, well I was packing a modest 300mm Sigma piece of glass, so in essence I was a Conference League player up against the money men of the Champions League! Oh well, what to do eh - but then again, you can only pee with the tail you've got!!! I could only dream of owning one of those white Canon lenses, but ya never know, maybe one day...

In no time it seemed our two hour limit was up, so next thing we knew we were back on Glad Tidings and travelling around the remainder of the Farnes before our last landing on Inner Farne, which was scheduled as another 2 hours on land. By this time I was confident I had pulled in some decent shots, although my lens went hunting on more than ten occasions and had trouble locking on to subjects, even stationary birds. With that in mind I was expecting an uphill task when photographing birds in flight, but against the odds this is where I managed to pull in my best shots. We didn't see a great deal of eggs today, although Chris and his eagle eyes (binoculars) picked out a few here and there. He was loving the whole experience. As the breeding season was at an early stage we expected to see plenty of eggs, but the majority of parents were sitting, so that put paid to that prospect. It would be at least two weeks before chick were visible, but we had anticipated this before our journey, so we weren't gonna be disappointed on that particular score. Again, we passed a few Grey Seal en route to Inner Farne as they basked on the rocks. High tide isn't the best time to see them however, as low tide has many hundreds of basking seals on show around this time of year when they are also breeding.

At 1.20pm we approached our second landing at Inner Farne. We tethered to the jetty before disembarking and were told in no uncertain terms that the 'Head Bangers' were waiting for us just a few metres ahead. Enter the Arctic Terns, who were nesting in their hundreds along the path we were about to tread, and these customers don't take kindly to visitors who trespass their domain. We were well prepared for what lay ahead though, as I told Chris the tale of my last visit here, when an Indian boat tripper decided his turban was sufficient protection against the dive-bombing terns - WRONG !!!!!  The poor fella seemed to be singled out by at least five angry as fcuk Terns, who in turn (no pun intended) took it upon themselves to drop shat over his dark head wear. Hey, this was hilarious to say the very least, that was until I got whitewashed myself down the left side of my laughing face. Needless to say I wasn't laughing anymore, especially as I was now providing laughter to all around me, whilst poor Abdul scurried off, seeking refuge in the nearby visitor centre. Welcome to Inner Farne!!!

But that was then. Today there was just the usual pecking of the head and no whitewashing, not that we saw. At the top of that path lies the NT visitor Centre, and opposite is St Cuthbert's Chapel, originally built in 1370. All around this area is nesting Arctic Terns who are just as hostile as the others, with eggs on display. On my website slideshow there is one shot which shows a Tern heading straight towards my camera with a look of anger in its eyes (Link at bottom of blog entry).
We expected to see dozens of Eider Duck nesting on Inner Farne, as is usually the case in May, but numbers were down and we only saw three or four sitting females. Next to Inner Lighthouse there were many nesting birds on the cliff faces, including Shag & Kittiwake, plus the Guillemots across the way on Pinnacle Rock. It was the amount of Puffin burrows that caught the eye too, with literally thousands of them everywhere we walked. I dropped anchor near the path an waited for Puffin's to appear, which they did, any they were anything but shy, as my photo's prove. Puffin's are peoples favourite bird of the Farne Islands, or so it seems. The 'Clowns of the Atlantic' are certainly photogenic, make no mistake about that. In the visitor Centre there is a newly installed 'Puffin Kam', where visitors have the chance to see one incubating it's egg in a burrow. I saw a video clip of it laying its egg, apparently the first time it has ever been filmed. Photographing Puffin's in flight is one of the hardest tasks I've done with a camera, as these birds are quick. I managed to shoot one or two with a quick shutter and I was chuffed with the results - one is shown here, of an incoming bird above a small colony of 'Friends' on the cliff edge.

Before long we were back on the boat and making our way back to Seahouses Harbour. Everyone aboard seemed to have enjoyed their day out - I know we certainly did, and it was worth every penny. Chris reminded me that I promised him Fish & Chips when we were back on the mainland - he doesn't forget stuff like that, he he. And by this time we were ready for a meal. The sun was still shining brightly as we disembarked, so off we went, up the ramp and into the restaurant. A nice way to end the day. I'd recommend this trip to anyone who shares an interest in this type of thing, so if you do, then check out the links below for more details. And that is all for now. I'll be beck again soon with more ramblings and the usual photograph accompaniment, so until then I shall tootle off and return at a later date. Hope you enjoyed your read!
Ash

Farne Islands - Wikipedia
Book A Farne Islands Boat Trip
My Farne Islands Slideshow, 2008-2013 

Rainton Meadows - First Visit Of 2013

Hello again. The roaming Mackem Photographer returns with another dose of this highly addictive hobby that is Photography. My addiction has lasted over thirty years and shows no sign of relenting, so be prepared more of the same in 2013, as I bring to you my hobby in picture form. And already the new year is not so new, if you get my drift, as we rapidly head into Spring - It doesn't seem five minutes since it was Christmas. Yes, time does indeed fly, and time can pass you by in an instant, so it's very often a good thing to make the most of some situations which won't happen again. Of course, I'm talking about the hands on, day to day involvement with my family, and in particular my son, who is now 12 years old. When he's not out and about with his friends, or glued to his X-Box, he likes to spend some time with his 'Owld Man', whether it's footy practise up the park, weekend camping, or simply a visit to Rainton Meadows, he's always up for it. And it's Rainton Meadows that is the focus of today's blog entry, following our first visit of the year to the nature reserve. It's literally 'Round the corner', although his lazy Fatha insists on taking the car, he he. It was a fine day, perfect conditions for checking out the latest activity on the waters of Rainton Meadows, although there wasn't a great deal happening when we arrived. We got chatting to a couple of photographers in the main hide that overlooks the largest of the set of ponds. They were happy to see a youngster getting involved in this type of thing, and he was quick to let them know of his intention to hopefully make a career out of it. It was deja vu, in one respect, as I recall a similar thing that evolved around 12 years ago at the same location. I made regular visits to the meadows, and Joe's Pond, with my stepson, who was only 11 years old at the time, and also had an interest in nature, before the other side of life kicked in and slowly grew out of it. He enjoyed his time though, and we spent many a Summer evening watching the wildlife, before he discovered girls, computer games and The Simpsons! Despite this, he was adamant he would go on and make a career caring for animals, and is now studying towards this, with the RSPCA in Edinburgh. Chris is hoping to follow in Johnny's footsteps, and being determined as he is, he'll certainly give it everything.

So, here are a few photographs I took recently at Rainton Meadows, Houghton le Spring. At the bottom of this blog entry you'll see some shots I took a few years ago, when Chris was still in his buggy and Johnny was giving him a crash course on Birdlife! Aye, we went through many a loaf of bread, back then. But hey, priceless moments like this are to be cherished, even long after the event, and it's very satisfying to know that we had those times, and that we still have them today. You really can't put a price on these things. I don't understand parents who shy away from interaction with their own kids, then wonder why those kids want little to do with them once they're up and away. Ah well, you reap what you sow, in many respects. Funnily enough, Johnny and his girlfriend stayed with us for a week over Easter, during which time we caught up on things, and I admit to enjoying his company the most as we watched Newcastle United's demise in the Europa Cup to Benfica. With him being a NUFC die-hard, and his stepdad being a 'Red n White', I took great pleasure in watching him squirm as their Semi-Final hopes were dashed. He shared some bottles of Newcy Brown Ale with me as we watched the game, and believe me, I had to think long and hard before accepting Geordie Ale. A wonder I never choked! But as I write this latest blog entry, Sunderland and Newcastle are about to face each other in the Tyne-Wear Derby at St. James' Park. Oh dear, I don't like watching these games - too tense. Not for the feint-hearted. I predict a 2-1 victory for the Black Cats of Wearside, under the guidance of one Paolo Di Canio.

Back on topic though...
Rainton Meadows will be revisited over the Spring and Summer months, so hopefully I'll be able to bring you a few nice Nature shots. I really should invest in some new glass, possibly a 400mm telephoto affair, but these things don't come cheap. I'll have to sell a few more photo's. Until then...

See ya next time, Ash

Red Sky At Night

Hello again!

Last Friday, around 5.00pm I noticed 'Layers' of white clouds above, which got me thinking there was a dramatic Sunset on the way. Being an amateur photographer who occasionally gets it right, but more often wrong, I grabbed my camera gear and headed to Rainton Meadows in the hope that I'd made a good decision, as my last two attempts were a complete waste of time. As is normal, I left with plenty of time to spare, even though the Meadows are only five minutes away by car. As the site gates are locked at 4.30pm in October I had to park the car on a back road near Chilton, which is a ten minute walk from car to water. Upon arrival it was the usual case of 'Spot the Swans' on the first pond (there are four separate ponds in total). There was a pair of Mute Swans on the water but there was little choice of ideal location at the waters edge because of the massive reeds around it. A simple break in the reeds, with the sun in front of me would have been perfect, but sadly, not on this occasion. So I walked to the next pond, a much bigger one and by far the biggest of all four. As well as the usual crowd of Ducks, Grebe's and Geese there was a family of Mute Swans - both parents and seven Cygnets. I photographed the Cygnets on the very first day they left the nest, back in early June 2012, flanked by the Cobb and Hen and they made there way across the field from Pond 3 (Nesting site) to Pond 2, where they've lived ever since. Four months later the Cygnets are almost as big as their parents and I was glad to see all seven on the water. Historically one or two will 'Go missing' during those first few weeks of life, but all seven were present. The Swans were at the top end of the pond when I arrived and the sun was about to set so I waited a few minutes before luring them towards my camera with the ever trusty slices of bread.

In the meantime I took a shot of the pond (see above) and once the sun was down the colours I had earlier anticipated were beginning to show in the sky. Maybe I had got it right this time! I was now into the last fifteen minutes of the Golden Hour (known to photographers as '30 minutes before Sunrise and 30 minutes after Sunset). By now I had tempted the Mute Swans over with the bread and the pink sky was turning red - everything was firmly in place. Red turned to deeper red as I fired off my first few frames. A very quick review of the shots put a big smile on my face so I wasted no time in taking more as the birds practically ate from my hand. The occasional hiss kept me on my toes and I was extra vigilant as one the parents came closer, leaving the water behind and stepping onto land. The Cygnets were pre-occupied on the water, feeding from the bed and not being at all concerned about the goodies on offer nearby. The red sky was at its most colourful at this stage and shortly it would be gone, so I made the most of my opportunity. No-one around but me and nature, which was ideal and just the ticket, no excuse for poor shots. Sparingly I passed over the bread until it was gone, making sure my last slice was used once the red sky had burnt out. It's all about timing. I had approximately a dozen shots in the bag by this time so my work was done, and I hadn't been clouted off the parents - sounds like a result, to me. Off I went as the light fell dramatically. On the way back to the car I was tempted to review the full set of photographs I'd just taken, but opted against it. I'm a bit sad in this respect as I always wait until I return home, put my feet up and then review them, with a cup of coffee for company. I must refrain from this and get myself a life, he he. Small pleasures, eh!

Bird photography isn't easy and requires much patience, but if you have that to your game you're half way there. The rest is what you'll learn as you go, but don't be put off with disappointing shots as I started off with plenty of them, albeit many years ago. It's trial and error and you'll see the results improve over time. You'll definitaly need an edge of 'Fearless Photography' as these birds can be quite unpredictable, even out of the breeding season, so be aware. You get a good idea of their tolerance levels after being in their company for a few minutes and obviously each one is different in this respect. You don't wanna beak in your eye, eh. Aye well, that's about it for now, folks. Hope you like the new shots. The following day was a good one - an 'All day' shoot along the 'Northumberland Coastal Route'. Some nice Autumn shots coming your way in the next few days, including visits to Warkworth, Alnwick and Bamburgh. As always...

watch this space! See ya soon.

Ash

Houghton le Springwatch

I don't update my Natural Life galleries as much as I'd like to, mainly because I'm either photographing the Landscape or indulging in more Low-Light photography. Having said that, when the Spring arrives, and also during the summer season, I tend to swap priorities and nature photography suddenly gets the nod over everything else. I'm lucky enough to live near some decent countryside and some of it is within walking distance, so decent nature shots are never too far away. In Houghton le Spring we have Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve - formerly the site of Rye Hill open cast coal mine, part of the vast Durham coalfield, Rainton Meadows has now been restored as a wetland site and is the headquarters of Durham Wildlife Trust. Lakes and ponds have been constructed together with re-seeding of native vegetation and woodland planting to create a habitat for a rich variety of wildlife once thought to have been lost from the area. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded visiting the site since 1996 and sightings of the rare water vole have been registered in the ponds. Dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies are seen in abundance with occasional migrant species being spotted.

One area known locally as Joe’s Pond was once the site of an old clay pit. This area was named after Joe Wilson, a former employee of Nicholson’s Pit who leased the pond from the National Coal Board and personally carried out much of the early tree planting and island construction. A designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, the area attracts many birds including long-eared owls, mute swans, grebes and ducks, is a popular breeding site for newts, frogs and toads. The surrounding wildflower meadows host a wide variety of plants including several species of orchids. It is also home to roe deer and foxes. A couple of years ago Durham Wildlife Trust built a brick hide on the edge of the largest pond at Rainton Meadows, although it has been vandalised on a number of occasions by the local chav population. From here, me and my son Christopher checked out activity on the water. He'd been itching to try out his new binoculars and they certainly came in handy as we spotted a Great Crested Grebe on its nest. I managed to get quite close to it before attaching a 300mm lens to bring it even closer. The photograph is shown here. The bird sat for a while, with no concern about the daft lad with the camera. This was the first time I'd seen a Great Crested Grebe at the nest site. The male fetched food for its mate as it incubated the eggs, swimming to and from the nest at regular intervals.

We passed three Mute Swan nests on our walk around the meadows. Birds were sitting at each site, until one left its nest and walked towards us, covering at least thirty feet, after it probably noticed the bag of bread Chris was carrying. As he fed the swan I nipped off and quickly checked the contents of the nest, which had a full clutch of six eggs. They are due to hatch very soon, as the Hen has been sitting for a month now. I took a couple of photo's before leaving the nest site, which was in the same part of the reeds as the previous two years - obviously built by the same pair of Swans. The Cobb (male swan) was busy getting fed by people further round the pond, which was why it wasn't fighting me off, as in previous years. Mind you, as I photographed the nest it suddenly appeared from the reed bed, heading towards me at a fast rate. Time to do one! We left the area and made our way to the next pond on Rainton Meadows, one of five in total. The Hen (female swan) ate the rest of the bread before returning to its nest, where the Cobb was waiting for it and guarding the eggs during its absence. Our first Springwatch outing of 2012 ended at Herrington Country Park, opposite Penshaw Hill. We decided to check out the Mute Swans and discovered another three nests, plus three Cygnets that were only a couple of days old, at the very most. With a few Mute Swan nests 'On our doorstep' we'll be keeping tabs on them in the next couple of weeks, in the hope of some more photography, so keep checking my Blog for future updates. Until then...




Cheers, Ash

Sunset Over Rainton Meadows

A quick word to accompany the two photographs here in my latest blog entry. Another calm Spring night and a visit to Rainton Meadows nature reserve in Houghton le Spring saw me grab my first 'Mute Swan In Flight' shots, taken on my Canon 7D. I was lucky enough to have a 300mm telephoto lens attached as this Mute Swan flew by, crossing the sun on it's path. The camera was also set to Quick Burst, allowing seven frames per second, which was just the job for this type of shot. I ran off half a dozen frames as the big bird flew past, then picked the best two depending on the position of its wings, hoping for a nice profile, which I managed to get. I had literally four or five seconds to set the dial with a fast shutter before raising the camera to take a shot. I haven't attempted this type of shot before so I wasn't expecting anything special - mind you, I'm more than happy with the results and I'm already thinking about trying it again, soon. An hour before sunset should be the right time to start shooting, especially as the sun is quite low and gathering more colour as it drops towards the horizon. I particularly like the second shot, that has a feather shaped cloud at the bottom.

I had been photographing Mute Swans for an hour or so at the same location, but those on the water, not in the air. Infact, you don't often see many Mute Swans in flight at Rainton Meadows so you really need to take your chance when it presents itself. Flights of geese are not uncommon at the meadows, plus ducks and other water birds, including waders. Tonights debut was easier than some, as Swans are slower in flight than most other water birds, so I'll have a bash at the quicker stuff another time. The pond I was photographing at was calm and the weather was fine. I photographed a male Mute Swan as its mate sat on its nest in the reeds nearby. It was a little bit touchy at first, understandably, but as soon as the bread made an appearance it settled down. Aye, they're not daft these buggers! As soon as the bread was gone, so was the Swan!

That's all for now folks. Plenty of new photo's to come - just trying to find the time to upload them. Until then, see ya later,

Ash