The sun has got his hat on...

Incoming!

...and that's probably a wise move if he's planning on visiting the Farne Islands anytime soon.  I thought Walney Island was scary but it has NOTHING on this!  "wear a hat" they said "there's nesting birds" they said.  What they should have said is take a hard hat and a mace and know how to use it.

Arctic Terns take no prisoners - they dive bomb you from the moment you arrive and don't stop until you've safely on the boat home.  And who can really blame them?  If your wife & kids were under threat from hat wearing giants you'd be pretty peeved too.

We'd visited the Farne Islands once before but long after nesting season was done.  This time we came to see the puffins but have been utterly delighted with all the other birds we've seen along the way.  We've also learned another important thing about giant nesting colonies - they stink!  The scent of several thousand birds & their combined "leavings" hits you a few hundred yards out to sea and lingers in your nostrils long after the medicinal effects of 2 large G&Ts wears off.

Last boat of the day!

You'll also be pleased to hear that we didn't get locked in anywhere today but we did manage to miss our ferry from Farne and had to sneak onboard the last boat of the day- and sneaking aboard anything is never easy when you have bright pink hair.

Aside from having holes pecked in my head and stowing away on tourist boats we spent the rest of the day wandering along the beach watching some rather better behaved birds and trying to figure out how old we are.  I kid you not.  It's my birthday tomorrow (18th) and I thought I was going to be a year older than I actually am - it wasn't until we did the maths from my date of birth that I finally twigged.  Lord knows when I got confused but I must confess to being rather pleased at the result - just so long as no one expects me to start acting my age we'll be just fine.

Tomorrow the sun is meant to be out all day again and we're off back to the beach  There's bound to be paddling & hopefully some fish & chips in Beadnell.  I may be wierd, occasionally unconventional and blissfully unaware of my real age, but I am a very cheap date. :-)

Longstone Lighthouse & seals

Not sure what he's saying. Pretty sure it's rude.

Pppppp pick up a Puffin!

Funky flyer!

Yyeeeesss...?

Shag.  I think.  They're the ones without the white bit, right?

Very cleverly balanced stones. (Not by us!)