Pauline and I continued from Whitby towards Northumberland. The main aim for our trip was to visit the Farne Islands and Pauline had booked an apartment in Seahouses. We stopped off at Amble to check out the Puffin cruises over to Coquet Islands. We were lucky to find the boat was about to go out and had a couple of places spare. Pauline persuaded me that we should go as the sun was out. Very good advice as it was the best weather we had all week!
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| Click on this image and find number 14. There is a Roseate tern nesting at this box! |
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| Arctic Tern taking off |
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| Sandwich tern with fish |
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| Puffins taking off |
We made it to Seahouses in the early evening. The apartment was lovely - 5 star luxury. We each had a large bedroom en suite. A lounge and balcony which had the sea view. Due to the weather, we didn't make use of the balcony other then quick trips out to take some snaps. I can recommend this apartment, you can find the details here (http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/accommodation/p8149675?utm_source=db&utm_medium=email&utm_term=20140902&utm_content=propertyid&utm_campaign=odhr-owner-enquiry). We made a trip to the Co-op for provisions, had fish and chips at Pinnacles and then walked down to Seahouses Harbour.
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| Seahouses harbour with one of Billy Shiel's boats |
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| Sunset from our balcony |
We booked to go to the Farne Islands on Sunday. A couple of showers but otherwise weather was okay for us.
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| This young starling was eating out of people's hands |
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| There were lots of seals on the rocks and as it was calm, the boat went very close |
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| Bridled guillimots |
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| The first of many puffins |
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| Shag portrait |
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| Fulmars |
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| Coming into land |
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| Popping out of a burrow |
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| Pauline with one of many showers witnessed from the Farne Islands. Luckily we only had two. |
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| The terns were not as aggressive as usual but still managed a few shots |
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| A view from Inner Farne |
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| Black headed gulls in a spat |
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| The puffin's journey is lined with thieving gulls |
In the evening we drove into Bamburgh and had dinner at the middle pub. Went on to the beach for the sunset.
Monday was a very wet day. We had a coffee at the Shoreline cafe in Craster and a short visit to the harbour. Drove into Alnwick for lunch at Barter Books - a good place to spend a wet day. Lunch was very good value for money. Macaroni cheese and Northumberland Rarebit recommended. Later that evening Glenys and Tony came over from Waren Mill where they were staying for the week. We celebrated my birthday with a glass or two of prosecco and had dinner at the Bamburgh Inn in Seahouses.
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| My lobster dish - pic by Glenys |
On Tuesday we had booked for the Farne Islands but it was too windy to land on Staple Island. Pauline and I decided to go on the reduced price outing and spend 3 1/2 hours on Inner Farne. A good decision as the sun came out unexpectedly. We had both wrapped up so were quite hot.
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| Fighting arctic terns |
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| Another thieving gull |
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| Being attaced by arctic terns |
On Wednesday we drove to Berwick on Tweed. Free parking and I thought I had found a good independent cafe. It sold secondhand books and had home roast coffee. Unfortunately, the espresso just tasted like instant. We parked near the walls then went down to the riverside and walked to the ruined castle.
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| Sunrise from the balcony of Seascape, Seahouses |
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| Working on the church in Berwick on Tweed |
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| One of the three bridges over the Tweed |
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| Part of the White wall |
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| Old photos of Berwick on Tweed |
Went on to Eyemouth and then St Abbs Head in Scotland for the afternoon. Returned to view Glenys and Tony's apartment and had dinner in Bamburgh.
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| Fisherman working on nets in Eyemouth harbour |
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| Three seals at Eyemouth Harbour |
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| A few pics from some fishermen sheds |
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| Wood vetch |
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| Looks like sycamore - at St Abbs Head |
Pauline had not been to Lindisfarne so that was Thursday's outing. The morning was dry with some sun and we spent it on the dunes at Bamburgh and at the beach at Scremerston. The rain started as we crossed the causeway to Holy Island and was heavy as we walked into the village. We found a cafe and ate cake until it was dry. A local falconer appeared by the boats with an owl and a photographer. The owl was posing for the BBC apparently. Of course, Pauline and I had to get in on the act!
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| Poppies before Bamburgh castle |
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| St Cuthbert's island, Lindisfarne |
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| Mending the harbour wall |
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| The posing owl on Lindisfarne |
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| House Martin collecting mud in the Lindisfarne car park |
Friday saw us at Low Newton. A great day out with lots of birds to try and shoot. We met a man who told us the whereabouts of a barn owl. We returned in the evening to try and see it but of course, it failed to make an appearance. However, we spent a good hour enjoying seeing other birds, especially the yellowhammer I managed to take in the afternoon. It came out in the evening for Pauline and we also saw a juvenile.
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| View of Dunstanburgh castle |
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| wrecked boat in the boatyard |
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| Took a few birds in the morning but had better results with the buttercups |
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| Yellowhammer singing in the evening |
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| Linnet on stick |
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| Juvenile yellowhammer |
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| Back home for sunset over Bamburgh |
Home on Saturday. I had never stopped at Angel of North but Pauline had not seen her at all so a good excuse to take some pics. Stopped for a couple of hours in Durham and lucky enough to see some clog dancing in the market square. A good journey back and I dropped Pauline off at about 7 pm.
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| Pauline is lying down to take a pic. |
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| Durham Cathedral. Last time I was here, about 20 years ago, the trees were not so tall! |
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| Durham Market square |
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| Some pics of the four different clog dancers we saw. |
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| I was here |
Next big trip is the postponed Tatro photography Botswana trip on 30th September.
