AN INCREDIBLE ISLAND

A really, really, really incredible island. If you are a bird watcher, and go to UK, try to visit Farne Islands. Farne Islands are a pair of Islands off the coast of Northumberland, UK. Ok, now time to start the blog. My father went to buy tickets. The weather was bad. We went on the boat. It shook and shook. We sat in the boat for 10 minutes. We almost reached. Then, common gulliemots (Uria aalge) flew to to us. They landed in the water, then Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) flew over our heads. The shaky boat shaked us. Then, we could see the island. Staple island, one of the 2 islands in Farne Islands. We immediately got off the boat once we reached. Then, something special. Guillemots were everywhere, puffins were 5 feet away and with lots of sand eels in their mouths. European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) in their nests out in the open. It had more birds together in one place than I had ever seen. Puffin burrows were everywhere. The weather was bad, so we had to go back. On the way back, we saw 3 gray seals (Halichoerus grypus).

Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) with sand eels

European shag (Phalocrocorax aristotelis)

Common guillemots (Uria aalge)

Gray seal (Halichoerus grypus)

They told us to come back at 1 p.m. We had lunch. At 1 p.m, we went on our boat. The island we were going to was called Inner Farne. We went there. Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea) were sitting on the rocks. We walked in. Suddenly, the terns flew. They hovered over our heads and started diving. Their calls were everywhere, and they pecked, flying over our heads all the time. They dived down. Most hovered, calling loudly. They were defending their chicks and their eggs. The males hovered and the females protected the eggs. One of the terns didn't have a male, so the female became aggresive. They stood guard, without even caring about themselves. Then, in the middle of them, we saw a black headed gull (Chroicocephalus ribibundus) with chicks. We left them alone. We reached one corner of the island, with lots of puffins. On the way, I read a board saying that black headed gulls steal puffins' food. Just after that, I saw a black headed gull standing right next to a burrow. A puffin flew into that burrow, the gull tried to steal the fish, but, it was unsuccessful. Shags nests and their chicks were everywhere. Then, we saw a guillemot like bird. It was a razorbill (Alca torda). We saw many more razorbills. Then, we saw an eider duck with chicks. Then, we saw one more eider duck on a rock. Then, I saw a puffin in its burrow. It immediately went inside its burrow. Then, I found another burrow that had eggs. I lied down and tried to get a photo of the eggs, but it was too dark to get a photo. Then, we had to leave. 

Arctcic tern (Sterna paradisaea)

Arctcic tern chick

Arctcic tern eggs

Black headed gull (Chroicocephalus ribibundus) with chicks

Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctcica)

Razorbill (Alca torda)

Eider duck (Somateria mollissima)

Then, while standing in queue to get into the boat, I saw some people taking photos of the beach. Then, I looked. There was a seal sitting out in the open! I shouted seal. 

Gray seal (Halichoerus grypus)

Then, we had to leave, Farne Islands were definitely great.