We have been sailing for a good few weeks now and the seabirds have been there one minute and gone the next, but the last few days a lot of the seabirds are back on the cliff faces and they look very settled now. So there we have it, the season kicks off once again and I can’t wait to get out on the water and enjoy it all over again.

I do love the start to a new breeding season and spread the word the Puffins are back but let’s not forget the other seabirds too. The Guillemots are covering every bit of ledge they can find and we have also spotted the Leucistic Guillemot once again. It’s great to see such a lovely seabird and its hard to believe its been 6 years since we first saw it and hopefully we will see it for many more years to come.

The Puffins have been busy cleaning out their burrows and there have been big rafts on the water beside Staple Island too. I do love the feel and the buzz about the place when all the seabirds start arriving and it might sound a bit strange to you all but, today, when the sun came out the smell of the bird poo, was so powerful all the guests were covering their noses due to the pong, but I just breathed it in and said to myself, “welcome home”. Yes, it does smell and Yes, it’s not to everyone’s liking, but for me its the start of exciting times ahead and no matter how much I see it, I will never ever get bored of it and I look forward to getting out every day.

Today was the first day we have been at sea for 3 days due to bad weather, so it was great to get out on the water and show everyone what the islands have to offer. It’s great to see our guests faces when they see thousands of Guillemots along with the cliff faces and the Puffins for the first time but today, while I was at anchor beside the Inner Farne the noise of the Sandwich Terns as they lifted of the rocks and flew over the boat, was fantastic. The screech they make is why they call them ” the noisy neighbours”, and it’s another reason why I love the Farnes at this time of year and I do this for a job….

So here we go again and I will try my best to keep you all updated and hopefully this year we will see something rare so I can let you all know about it and while we wait for the final jigsaw puzzle to arrive, the seabird breeding season is nearly complete. Yes, you have guessed it, the Arctic Tern is the last to arrive but who can blame this Arctic Angel the distance it has to fly.

Until next time I hope this keeps everyone up to date and watch out for our next blog post as its exciting times at the harbour too.