LAST BUT NOT LEAST

We have been waiting for a while now but finally the last of our seabirds have now arrived and they are starting to get settled too. Yes, you guessed it, it’s the Arctic Tern, and its great to see them after their amazing flight all the way from the Antarctic. They are the ultimate long distance migrants who visit the Farne Islands in the summer for the breeding season and then leave for the winter to the Antarctic. They average a whopping 12,000 miles every year which is outstanding when you think of the size of them and this is why they are called, “Sea Swallows”. Here at the Farnes, we call them Arctic Angels as they are our angels of the north.

In the UK we have an average of 53,000 pairs and the Farnes along has 1,735 pairs, which is just incredible when you think of it. The Arctic Tern migrates usually because of breeding seasons. They do breed further up in the northern parts of the arctic ocean and around the coasts, as well as places like Alaska and northern Canada. Another reason they migrate is because of the drop in temperature over the winter in the northern hemisphere. They migrate down to Antarctica for food, rest, and for the warmer summers than the Arctic and who can blame them. I do the same myself in the winter, but just a little bit different. Well loads different really.

For me, the Arctic Tern is the final jigsaw for all the breeding seabirds at the Farnes and over the next few months, I will try and keep you all updated with what’s happening and hopefully I have loads to report.

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