Eider ducks, Guillemots, Rock Pipits and Atlantic Puffins in Seahouses and the Farne Islands - 10th May 2026

Male Eider duck on the rocks near the harbour in Seahouses

and with a female

Young Shag standing on rock at the edge of one of the Farne Islands

Busy boat service round the Farne Islands

Puffins in the water near the edge of an island

Guillemots standing on the rocks

Bridled Guillemot, on the left, with two other Guillemots at the top of Staple Island

There were other boats in the area with less people on board!

Seals on a rock near the lighthouse

Longstone lighthouse with seals on the rock in front

Another form of transport at the Farne Islands

Bamburgh Castle in the distance

Queue of people waiting to leave Inner Farne with the lighthouse in the distance

Barn Swallow perching on a branch on Inner Farne

The stars of the show - Atlantic Puffins

There were other birds on Inner Farne - Rock Pipit

Guillemots

Guillemots at the edge of Inner Farne with Longstone Lighthouse and Grace Darling's old house in the distance

The boat that brought me to Inner Farne had to wait outside Inner Farne for an hour until it was time for the passengers to reboard

Female Eider duck

and male Eider duck spotted while waiting in the queue to board the boat

More Eider ducks at the edge of Inner Farne and another boat bringing passengers for an hour's walk round Inner Farne - unfortunately, not really enough time on the island!

Looking back at Inner Farne on the way back to Seahouses

Tribute to Sir David Attenborough for his 100th birthday on the beach in Seahouses

Busy traffic at Seahouses harbour

Male Eiders showing off near a female

Popular female Eider duck!

 

Flowers in Berwick-upon-Tweed and Eider ducks, Puffins and Arctic Terns in Seahouses/Farne Islands - 10th June 2025

I spent a week in Berwick-upon-Tweed in June and, in the early afternoon while waiting for my accommodation to be ready, I went for a short walk near the holiday park

Lovely Foxgloves were growing in front of a stone wall

Bright red Snapdragons amongst greenery

The next morning I visited Castle Vale Park as I had time to spare before catching the bus to Seahouses

Beautiful Candelabra Primroses were growing near the top of the steps down to the river

A rather splendid tall Foxglove amongst the shrubs

View of the Royal Border railway bridge from Castle Vale Park

On arrival in Seahouses, I went to the harbour.  A male Eider duck was standing on rocks below the harbour wall.

There was also a young male Eider duck wandering around on the rocks

I went on a boat trip round the Farne Islands.  A seal was swimming around near one of the Farnes.

Longstone lighthouse in the distance

Atlantic Puffin peering down from the edge of a cliff on one of the islands

There were many groups of Atlantic Puffins on Inner Farne, where we landed for just one hour

This Puffin had a beak full of sand eels

The Arctic Terns were in attack mode due to nesting at the edge of the boardwalk

Our boat moored just off Inner Farne for the hour we were on the island

Close view of an Arctic Tern while waiting for our boat to return to the island

Puffins in flight and standing/sitting on the edge of Inner Farne - viewed as the boat was leaving

Back at Seahouses I had some spare time to fill before getting the bus back to Berwick-upon-Tweed so I wandered round the edge of the harbour where a male Eider duck was resting

There were several female Eiders in the same area.  This one was preening her feathers.

Another nearby female was wandering around with three fluffy little Eider ducklings

The ducklings knew no fear and wandered right up to me and my shadow!