Seabird Get Together - Northumberland, UK - Spring 2014

[Soukous]

@@Safari Cal do you know what time the boat trip departs in the morning?

[Safari Cal]

I booked us all a dinner table for 19:45 tomorrow evening. Can you let the lady on reception know your eating with me (Calum Kerr) and let her know of any dietary requirements.

 

It normally leaves anytime from 09:00 - 10:00. I'll confirm tomorrow afternoon when I arrive and let everyone know. Normally best to be at the harbour around 09:00 to pay and meet everyone.

 

The boat gets back in around 16:30 in time for fish and chips in Seahouses and a few pints in the beer garden... weather permitting

[kittykat23uk]

How much is the boat Cal and do we need to bring cash?

[Safari Cal]

The boat price went up by £5 recently. Here are the costs. The Billy Shiel's Office takes cards and the booth on the harbour used to but they had issues after storms in December, but they should be up and running again by now. If you use cash you can't go wrong.

 

(Tour 3)

Duration 6 hours
Landing 2 landings (included)
Sailings
April - July: daily at at 09:30am

Adult: £35.00
Child: £20.00

NATIONAL TRUST LANDING FEES

Adult: £6.80 Child: £3.50 Family £17.50
(Free landing to National Trust members)

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks! Just had some lunch at the friendly farmer near newark.

[kittykat23uk]

Finally arrived. That was looooong! :/

[Game Warden]

Let's see some Safaritalk selfies

[kittykat23uk]

Will this do for now? Getting a little merry..

 

safaritalk gtg at olde ship inn.. by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[Game Warden]

Ian's beard is starting to look epic

[kittykat23uk]

You have made him swell with pride GW!

[Game Warden]

Watch out for hangovers in the morning: I think we all suffered Saturday morning in Milano...

[Safari Cal]

It was really great to meet everyone last night and enjoy a few tipples together. Ian's beard is epic and very reminiscent of Master Pai Mei from the Kill Bill films (very cool). The sea air will sort us out this morning GW I hope, as well as a good hearty north east fried breakfast.

 

Just looked outside and the weather seems to have settled this morning. Got my fingers crossed for a good day... bring it on! Looking forward to seabird overload, @@Soukous lunch and to meeting @@africapurohit.

 

I'm sure there will be plenty of updates over the next couple of days, and even more selfies

[Soukous]

Just got home from the excellent GTG at Seahouses / Farne Islands.

A real pleasure to meet @@Safari Cal, @@kittykat23uk @bigbalian @@africapurohit, @@JohnR and Hanne and Joanne

Farne Islands are sensational, or would have been if the weather had been better and the puffins had not been hiding underground. Definitely going back again next year.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Soukous

[JohnR]

Great to meet everyone. After the grey skies of Saturday Hanne and I took a boat back to Inner Farne to see the puffins and terns in sunshine. Now on the A1 home.

[Soukous]

A few images from a rainy Inner Farne

 

@@africapurohit

 

@@africapurohit @Soukous @@Safari Cal

 

@@Safari Cal, intimidating the birdlife with his big lens

 

@@Safari Cal and @@kittykat23uk

 

@@kittykat23uk under attack from an Arctic tern

 

Rena & Joanne doing the sensible thing, keeping dry and enjoying a drink

 

@@JohnR - looking thoughtful, perhaps praying for sunshine

 

Edited May 26, 2014 by Soukous

[Soukous]

There's a Scottish bloke over there and he's got a lens this long, honestly.

 

[kittykat23uk]

Just arrived back home, sadly I think we used up all our luck with the red squirrels as we didn't see anymore on the way home. At least the journey back was smooth, well until some idiot in a vauxhal signia almost took out an aa van towing an Audi A somethingorother as he tried to get in front of us all on the slipway. Thanks again @@Safari Cal for organising the weekend and it was lovely to see everyone, @@africapurohit, @@JohnR and Hanne, Joanne, Rena and of course @@Soukous.

[BigBaldIan]

....when @@kittykat23uk says "some idiot", what she really means is a mouth-breathing plank who was so impatient to get past myself and said AA van, he went off-roading on the verge between the main carriageway and sliproad in said Vauxhall Insignia rep-mobile. To quote a certain Brian Johnson (of AC/DC fame), "Me arse was twitchin' like a rabbit's nose."

 

Anyhow, pleasure to meet you all (again in some cases) and a fang-you to @@Safari Cal for organising the whole shebang. Hope you're enjoying some well deserved Gold Tankards.

Edited May 26, 2014 by BigBaldIan

[JohnR]

@@JohnR - looking thoughtful, perhaps praying for sunshine

 

 

The prayers were answered. I take full credit for the day-long sunshine on Sunday and Monday

[Safari Cal]

Great to meet everyone, glad you're all home safely (especially Master Pai Mei - err I mean Ian!) Just a shame that God, err I mean John, didn't sort out the sunshine on Saturday like he did on Sunday Glad you got good weather on your return trip on Sunday John & Hanne.

 

It wasn't the best weather on Saturday but we all managed to get a few shots of the birds and get a feel for what it's like in better weather I hope. Here's a few shots from the weekend that I took:

 

Waiting for the boat and full of optimism for a dry day!

 

 

The normal boat trip takes in a trip out to see the Seals swimming and sunbathing on the rocks, there are well over a thousand around the Farne Islands.

 

 

Guillemots on the rocks taken from the boat on the way round the islands.

 

 

Jo smiling as she realises she's being photographed

 

 

Martin at the cliff edge

 

 

 

John and Hanne in the rain

 

 

The girls are up to no good!

 

 

Puffin with fish - from the only sequence of shots I managed to get!

 

 

and finally...

 

Little Red Squirrel taken at Woodhorn Colliery on Sunday.

 

[BigBaldIan]

A motley bunch of ne'er do wells....

 

[BigBaldIan]

The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog Hauxley, nope not an albino but a blue-eyed white. I can only surmise that someone disposed of an unneutered pet (normally a death sentence) but somehow it thrived and produced kits.

 

Edited May 27, 2014 by BigBaldIan

[kittykat23uk]

Guillemots...

 

P5247639conv85 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Thaasands of them!

 

P5247759 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Grey Seal

 

P5247726 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Razorbill

 

P5247939 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Eider

 

P5248024 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

A face only a mother could love

 

P5248309 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Kittiwake Courtship

 

P5248407 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

P5248432 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Gossip girls

 

P5248512 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Angry birds

 

P5248704conv adj by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

P5248757 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Fish supper

 

P5248833 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

bunny

 

P5259053 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

All these nuts belong to me!

 

P5259064 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

Oops! Spotted!

 

P5259113 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

[Safari Cal]

Romantic meal for two!

 

[Soukous]

Lovely photos @@kittykat23uk so pleased you got to see red squirrels too.