Atlantic Puffins, Seals and Guillemots - Farne Islands, Northumberland - 15th June 2025

On my last day in Northumberland, I travelled once again by bus from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Seahouses in order to go on a boat trip around the Farne Islands, which included landing for an hour on Inner Farne.  We boarded the boat, left the harbour and then the engine cut out!  We drifted around for about three-quarters of an hour before the skipper got the engine running again - to huge cheers!

While stuck outside the harbour, I took a photograph of distant Bamburgh Castle

I also took a photograph of Seahouses harbour and other boats that were on the move!

Eventually we were on our way to the Farne Islands and passed a Puffin with a fish in its beak

Puffins were standing on and flying above the cliffs on one of the islands

A group of seals were lying around near another island

There were lots of Guillemots up on the cliffs

A single cute young seal was lying on rocks

We then landed on Inner Farne where there were many Atlantic Puffins to be found

 

Some were standing amongst the pretty white Sea Campion flowers

Other were standing by or in their burrows

A pair of Puffins were beak-rubbing while their companions watched on

This Puffin was definitely refusing to come out of its burrow!

Some Puffins were flying over the island and off on a fishing trip

Pair of Puffins watching the humans wander round the island

Watch out - Puffin coming in to land!

Time to leave after one hour on the island - I could hardly drag myself away!

Goosander in Newhaven and wading birds in Cramond, Scotland

In August, while attending the Edinburgh Festival, I took a second day off to visit a couple of small towns on the edge of the Firth of Forth in East Lothian and just a short bus journey from the centre of Edinburgh.  It was a cloudy dull day, but not raining.

The first place I called at was Newhaven, near Leith, and below is a view of the harbour.  At first, I thought that the birds in the harbour were all gulls.  But I was mistaken!

Much to my delight, there was a Goosander!  One minute it was there and the next it wasn't as it kept diving for food.  Luckily I managed to get this photograph of it and have been told that it is a juvenile.

I was with a couple of friends and we had lunch in a pub in Newhaven.  Afterwards one went back to Edinburgh to see a show and one stayed with me.  We got a bus along the coast to the next small town and then walked along the towpath to Cramond, where there was a huge beach.

There is a long row of anti-submarine pylons across the beach between the mainland and a small island that was used for defence purposes during WWII.  Many gulls and wading birds were wandering around on the wet sand.

 An Oystercatcher was doing a balancing act - standing on one leg and stretching out it's black-and-white wing.

Two Curlews with long curved beaks were searching for food.

A group of Redshanks were paddling in a stream that ran across the beach..