# Farne islands



## Jodi1 (Mar 25, 2010)

We would like to visit the Farne islands to see the nesting birds, but on checking, the best time to go is end May, June and early July. However, we will be away in Canada most of June. This is a sort of one time chance as we are currently dogless and a Farne island trip is something we have never looked into due to the lack of doggie day care. We plan to get a puppy in the summer when we come back from Canada, so does anyone know whether there is good range of birdlime on Farne during May?


----------



## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Jodi1 said:


> so does anyone know whether there is good range of *birdlime *on Farne during May?


I am not being a pedant, but genuinely do not know whether you meant birdlime (which does exist) or birdlife which is what I suspect most people would go there to see without a dog?

AFAIK the wildlife there is birds and seals, but I may well be wrong, it's just that I cannot imagine people studying birdlime in detail.....

that would be a cr&p thing to study IMO......

sorry just not sure.....

Dave


----------



## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

When the clocks change to BST the party boats go out from Seahouses Harbour out to Longstone and the surrounding Islands as folk go seal watching, and to land on Longstone to see the puffins and other sea birds.

To be honest unless you are a good sailor it can be a bit bumpy in the early spring and late summer on the sail out to the islands, as the boats are mostly ex potting boats converted to take passengers and as such a lot of them are open boats, so get wrapped up and have waterproofs.. The roughest sea I have ever been out in my life has always been at the Farnes when it has blown up while we were out diving, one time sheltering in a West wind of all directions when we and other dive boats and all the party boats had to wait in the lee of Longstone End till it calmed off enough to get back into Seahouses .. In the mean time on Beadnell camp site our awning which was rolled out in the perfectly calm conditions when we set off, was now destroying itself along with half the tents on the site.

We have been diving round the islands for the last 40 years, and I never tire of it, one of the spectacular sights as we are diving is to see Gannets flying past you underwater as they search for fish.

Here is a bit of a plan of the Farnes, note the furthest Island out which is called Knifestone, this covers and uncovers with each tide so is a wreck magnet with loads of shipwrecks round it, if you go into the Lifeboat Station there is a list of all the known wrecks that have sunk round the Farnes, you will be amazed at the number that ended up on Knifstone..

There will be a couple more wrecks on Knifstone at some point as this is where Sandra and me are going in on the North West corner when we are cremated, well we have been swimming round the bloody thing for forty years we might as well end up there and become part of an envitoment we both love... The Sea and the Farne Islands.


----------



## Jodi1 (Mar 25, 2010)

Penquin said:


> Jodi1 said:
> 
> 
> > so does anyone know whether there is good range of *birdlime *on Farne during May?
> ...


Dear Mr Pedant
It's the iPads fault
Yours (going to specsavers)
Jodi


----------



## Valian (Sep 25, 2008)

Hi. Birds visit the Farne Islands to breed, mostly, so the weather will be a key factor. Puffins (all 30000 of them) and so on will probably return to Farne in March/early April to start nestbuilding, and the range of species will build through April. Arctic terns will probably arrive last, as late as midMay some years, but they're the ones who divebomb your head if you get too close, so it may not be a bad thing.......
Simple answer is May will be good but be prepared as said above for the sea to be interesting. 
There are some nice sites round there too. PM if you want more info.

Regards
Ian


----------



## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

It's nice at the Farnes.  

I used to go clubbing there. :lol: 

OK, OK, it's a sick joke but I am just bumping the thread. :wink:


----------



## StewartJ (Nov 20, 2009)

I've attached a link to the Farne Island Rangers Blog which will give you an idea of what's happening, bear in mind there are no wardens at the mo so little coverage. This will change in the near future and becomes a daily diary of events.

http://farnephoto.blogspot.co.uk/


----------

