Friday 25 June 2010

Puffin Cruise

I spent some more time volunteering to watch the Chilean Flamingos at Washington Wildfowl Park yesterday. Just as last week the Flamingos put in another lazy performance, but still the research is all in a good cause.
I went to look for the Egyptian Goose once I had finished but there was no sign on the ‘reservoir’. A female Tufted Duck with a brood of 8 chicks were swimming across the water.
From the woodland hide 7 different Bullfinch including 2 young birds were on the feeders along with 2 Jay and 1 GS Woodpecker.

Today I was out with SH to go on the Puffin Cruise, which had been cancelled earlier in the week. First we stopped at a quiet Cresswell Pond where the highlight was a female Marsh Harrier which flew over briefly.

When we got to East Chevington the Spoonbill was showing well at the far side of the south pool.
A Hobby had been seen earlier in the morning but there was no sign. On the North pool 2 Black Tailed Godwits were amongst the flock of terns.

We arrived at Amble harbour earlier than we expected so got on the earlier boat. The sea was flat as we set off and stayed this way throughout the trip.
Just as we had left Amble Harbour we could see a few Puffins on the water and as we approached Coquet Island we started to see more and more as the flew past and over the boat. The boat stopped in front of the Island and we were surrounded by rafts of Puffin.
Grey Seals were popping their heads out of the water near the boat and at least 25 Roseate Terns were on the Tern boxes.

2 comments:

Dave said...

Yes it was great out at Coquet yesterday - flat as a pancake. What time did you go? We went at 3:45 and the puffins were starting to return in force.

Crammy Birder said...

I was on the 1:45 boat I think, we were planning to go later but there was enough space to get on the earlier boat.