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!

 

Castle Vale Gardens with flowers and view of the Royal Border bridge, plus birds by the river and cliffs in Berwick-upon-Tweed - 9th May 2026

I had been to Holy Island in the morning and the bus back to Berwick-upon-Tweed was at 16.00.  It was now good weather after the rain so, on my return, I went for a short stroll in Castle Vale Gardens

There was an amazing display of Rhododendrons in the gardens

plus these lovely mauve flowers, the name of which I don't know

The Royal Border railway bridge from the viewpoint in the gardens

A multitude of Wild Garlic by the steps from Castle Vale Gardens down to the river Tweed

View of the Royal Border bridge from below by the edge of the river

I wandered further along the river and took a photo of the three bridges - two road and one railway

Very tall  brick tower in Spittal - on the opposite side of the river Tweed

and Berwick-upon-Tweed lighthouse

An Oystercatcher was feeding at low tide on the river bed

Male Linnet perching at the top of a shrub on land at the edge of Little Beach

and a male Stonechat perching in front of the wall

Female Linnet perching on a piece of wood

Two dogs running along the edge of the beach with the lighthouse in the distance

Para-glider or kite surfer had landed on the edge of the cliff

Meadow Pipit perching on a post on the cliff