3 days in Northumberland - Arctic Terns
One of the iconic birds of the Farne Islands is the Arctic Tern. Migrating thousands of miles each year they return to lay their eggs and bring up their chicks on the Farnes. Inner Farne is the place to see Arctic Terns and you cannot miss them. They are so close you could easily stand on them, with birds nesting right up to and on the paths, and chicks wandering all over the place. A hat of some kind is advisable as the birds are very protective of their young, dive bombing anything that comes close! A peck on the head is quite sharp, and can draw blood, but otherwise is just part of the experience!
Given the proximity of the birds and the fact I landed on Inner Farnes on all 3 days of my visit I might of expected to take more photos of Arctic Terns. However, the poor light on the first two days, and my decision to focus on other birds, means that I have relatively few Arctic Tern images compared to other species.
I love the contrast of the black and white head plumage, with the bright red beak.
This first flight image was taken whilst it was raining on the first afternoon.
This second image was taken in better light on the 3rd day
In all cases, a black eye in a black head plumage is a challenge to photograph.
For more Arctic Tern images please click here