The Islands of Pilgrims
By Nigel Blake
Television allows
us to experience the many great nature spectacles in this world, exotic places
that we can often only dream of visiting, so it is perhaps a surprise to many
that we have some very special places ‘on our doorstep’ that in my opinion
rival the likes of Serengeti and Bharatpur for wildlife watching excitement.
I remember
reading about the Farne Islands in ‘Where to watch birds in Britain’ by John
Gooders, I had been given the book as a Christmas present by my parents when I
was about 18, within its covers it told of Puffins and Guillemots close enough
to touch, and Shags and Terns that pecked at you when you got too close. I had
never been to a Seabird colony on an Island then, and I wanted to just get on
my way to see this for myself, but my heart sank when I read at the end of the
section that the best time to visit was May to July… it seemed like a lifetime
away.
With the 5-month
wait over and having passed my driving test I headed off up the A1 in my little
purple mini on what was for me an epic birding pilgrimage and the chance to
photograph Puffins for the first time in my life.
Inner Farne
Situated about 3
miles offshore from the fishing village at Seahouses in Northumbria the Farnes
are a group of low granite islands; they have been the destination of pilgrims
since long before the sixth century, when St Cuthbert lived in solitude on the
nearest isle to the mainland, Inner Farne, at 16 acres this is the largest of
the islands.
St Cuthbert, (whose
name is connected by the local name ‘Cuddy Duck’ for the Eiders that breed on
the islands) did not quite live as secluded a life, he was held in high regard
as a healer, this gift of his bought many pilgrims who sought his powers,
indeed the name of the islands may well have derived from the Gaelic ‘Farena
ealande’ meaning Islands of the pilgrim. Cuthbert became the Bishop of
Lindisfarne and spent some time at Holy Island before returning to the Farnes,
where he had the greatest affinity with the nature that lived there, he is
claimed to be the first real conservationist, deteriorating health led to his
death in 687A.D. his grave can be found at Durham cathedral and a small chapel
built in 1370 and dedicated to his name is still on Inner Farne.
On my first visit
to the islands I could have been walking in St Cuthbert’s footsteps, other than
a huge white painted lighthouse on the highest part, the Island has possibly
changed little since he was there, and has not changed since I started visiting
nearly 30 years ago, he probably had to withstand the spiteful attacks of
Arctic terns too. From the moment you get off the boat these birds flap around
your head, defending their eggs and young with almost kamikaze vigour, often
drawing blood from the unwary visitor, so remember a sturdy hat when you go!
Around the jetty there are many Terns, Arctic and Common, just across on the
beach there is a Sandwich Tern colony that has increased in size since my first
visits to the National Trust managed islands, there are often Ringed Plover
sitting on eggs here too.
Just up from the
landing stage Cuthbert’s Chapel, the Pele Tower, once the home of monks and now
the wardens accommodation, the visitor centre and toilets are the first
buildings you reach after queuing to pay a small landing fee, dotted around
here (and usually under the wooden seats) are female Eiders, sitting tight on
their down filled nests they incubate clutches of up to 6 eggs for about 4
weeks. Occasionally two females will share a nest with a huge number of eggs
in, when hatched they will herd all the ducklings together into large crèche
groups.
The top of the
Island has lots more nesting Terns, you will have to mind where you tread as
they will lay their eggs on the footpaths, also there are many Puffins nesting
in the warren of Burrows that honeycomb the Thrift and Sea Campion infested
turf. In early summer the Puffins gather in groups on the cliff edge and make
endearing little grunting noises. June and early July is the best time to see
these gaudily beaked seabirds, with rapidly growing hungry young to feed, the
adults, with bills full of Sand eels have to run the gauntlet of marauding
gulls, often they crash land and run the last few paces into the burrow to
avoid losing their hard caught fish supper, sometimes though the gulls win.
The most stunning
sights though are from the highest part of the island, the cliffs by the
lighthouse, here Fulmar and Kittiwakes hang on the up draughts, and sit on
nests alongside Shags and Guillemots right at your feet and Puffins, Razorbills
and Guillemots whiz back and forth on the wind. The same wind that carries the
acrid, nostril tingling ammonia smell from the guano-spattered rocks below has
Herring and Black backed gulls, Oystercatchers and the occasional Gannet
drifting effortlessly on it too, the whole scene backed by the squawking
cacophony soundtrack of all these birds calling is quite an assault on the
senses.
Inner Farne is
open to the public in the afternoons only and is accessible for disabled
visitors; of the group of Islands just two others, Staple Island and the
Longstone, are open for landing by boat. Staple Island is not recommended for
disabled visitors as it has steep steps up from the landings and it is rocky
and difficult walking in some areas, stout shoes/boots are a must when visiting
this spectacular island.
Staple Island
I have lost count
of the times I have visited the Farnes, for me Staple Island has to be one of
my most favourite places in the world, being greeted on the steps up from the
boat by Guillemots, Shags and Razorbills that are just an arms length away is
overwhelming, as a photographer it is hard to calm down and be selective about
what to shoot first. Puffins and Eider Duck are also so close that you do not
need long lenses, and all this is before you get to the top of the steps!
The top of the
Island is no less fantastic, there are Fulmars nesting on the grass amongst the
burrows occupied by some of the Farnes 35,000 or so pairs of Puffins, thousands
of Guillemots crammed together on ledges that seem to precarious for laying
eggs on, among these you will see the delicately ‘spectacled’ bridled form
dotted about.
The life here
seems hectic, sporadic fights and aggressive pecking at the neighbours,
interspersed with mating and incubating the eggs, fending off piratical gulls
that try to steal eggs or young birds, the comings and goings of adults with
food for incubating partners or youngsters
Then there are the Shags, prehistoric and
slightly lizard like in appearance they sit and pant, their yellow speckled
throats rapidly vibrate as they while away the days until their eggs hatch, at
this close range you can see just how beautiful these birds are, the black
looking plumage is an amazing shade of iridescent green, and they eye you up
with an emerald stare, stabbing out with dagger beaks if you get to close.
Down through the
middle of the island is a rocky ravine called ‘the Gut’ Kittiwakes and shags
nest in here and there are a few Rock Pipits, but during spring and autumn migration
all kinds of migrants might show up in this sheltered gulley, the Farnes have
quite a list of rare birds.
Looking south
from the island’s highest point are ‘the Pinnacles’, these rocky stacks are the
perfect tenement accommodation for yet more Auks all vying for the slightest
bit of room upon which they will bring their next generation, but to get an
impression of the scale of these rocks you need to see them from the boat.
Staple Island is
open for visiting in the mornings only.
Amazing Grace
The Longstone has
little to offer now that the Lighthouse has been automated, as its unmanned now
it is closed to public visiting, there is a Seal colony there but it is best
viewed from the boat.
Longstone Island
however was the place of Grace Darling’s epic rescue mission. The lighthouse
was built in 1825, thirteen years later the ‘Forfarshire’ a paddle steamer on
route to Dundee from Hull was smashed onto the rocky outcrop of ‘Big Harcar’
during a storm, many of the passengers were washed away in the stormy seas, but
at around 7 a.m. on that fateful September morning Grace could see from her
bedroom window that there were survivors. The 22 year old and her father
William set off in a small coble rowing boat managing to save nine souls in two
trips, taking them back to the shelter of the lighthouse. Grace, though a shy
girl became quite a celebrity as a result, so it seems extra sad that she
should have died just four years later from consumption, her grave is in
Bamburgh, so too is a museum with her boat and other items connected with her
life, its well worth a visit.
Visiting the Farnes
I will be making
my annual pilgrimage to the Farne Islands again this year, along with many
others who cannot resist the spectacle of all the birds there. The ‘Glad tidings’
sails out from Seahouses harbour at 10 a.m. and at roughly half an hour
intervals after that, there is usually quite a queue by 9 o’clock especially if
the weather is good, however you should perhaps be prepared for a couple of
days stay in the area as sometimes, despite favourable looking weather, the sea
conditions can make landing on the islands impossible.
During the
breeding season the islands are open from May 1st to July 31st
at the times noted in the article and are very easy to visit, the boats are run
by Billy Sheil, at the peak of the season it is wise to book in advance, the
rest of the season, April August and September the islands are open for the
whole day. There are separate charges for the boat and landing fees for the
islands, National Trust members are of course able to visit for free under the
terms of membership.
I prefer to do
the full day trip as it enables me to have over two hours on each island, not
really long enough for photography, and not necessarily at the best time of the
day, but its still possible to get great images.
