Puffins

Today was an extremely windy day and we had booked on a trip to the Farne Islands.  We spent the morning relaxing and took the 3pm boat trip across.  I had taken a sea sickness pill so felt ok but the high winds meant that it was difficult keeping the camera still.  Nevertheless it was an amazing experience.  

As we landed we walked past an area where the terns were nesting often with chicks at the side of the pathway.  Several terns did peck my hat as I hurriedly headed past them.  It was an amazing sight to see so many puffins on the ground and so many whizzing past you.  They move so fast darting between groups of people.  The sand eels they had caught were very visible shinning a silver colour in their beaks.  It was very difficult trying to get a photo of them but eventually I succeeded.  I even spotted a bird in its nest, see extra.  The puffins very quickly dive into the burrows where the nest is as the terns are often around hoping to take some of the sand eels.  We were on the island for an hour and then went back on the boat to view the colonies of other birds on the cliff edges and also the seals.  A couple of dolphins or orcas were spotted as we set off on the trip. 

We then returned to Seahouses wondering what our photos were like.  An exciting day.