birding...

Puffin Fratercula arctica ©Peter Turner peterct1945@yahoo.co.uk

This uninhabited group of rocky islets, a few kilometres off the Northumberland coast, were declared Britain’s first Nature Reserve by St Cuthbert in the 7th century. They remain under the protection of the National Trust.

Little can prepare the birder, who may have hung precariously over cliff edges to photograph Britain’s auks, for the landing on Staple Island. Here you find yourself surrounded by Guillemots, Puffins, Kittiwakes and Shag and they don’t take flight as you all but brush past them.

There are no rare birds here but the visitor can approach the birds so closely, and they are present in such concentrations, that a visit to these Isles will remain an unforgettable experience. For intimate bird photography the islands are incomparable in Britain.

Landing on Inner Farne is a different experience, here thousands of terns: Arctic, Common, Sandwich and Roseate nest. And some nest immediate to the boardwalk. These elegant birds expend a great deal of energy mobbing everyone who walks past them – so wear a hat! On sunny days you are dive-bombed from out of the sun which makes photography something of a challenge; this cannot be said of the birds of Staple Island. The auks and other seabirds can also be seen on this island but it is the terns one comes to see.

Visiting

Currently there are half day trips to Staple Island from Seahouses in the mornings and to Inner Farne in the afternoon. Both trips tour the other islands and allow a close approach to the Grey Seals. These trips give you an hour ashore.

There are whole day trips on which both islands are visited – these are crowded with about 60 folk per boat compared to the dozen or so on the half day excursions. There are also non-landing visits to the island group.