Arctic Tern is my favourite bird due to it's elegance, aesthetic, chutzpah and Shackletonesque levels of adventure and resilience, the Farnes show is stolen by them in my book. However, for most visitors the stars of the show are the Puffins and Seals which certainly pleased the remainder of our party who cooed in appreciation as every toucan billed Auk flew over.
The viewing platform and boat trip have to be one of the most immersive seabird colony experiences in the UK as Guillemot, Razorbill, Kittiwake and Shag nest carpal to carpal up the islands cliffs and spill on to the tops where you can walk amongst them.
And too soon it's over and, as ever, eeking out the last moments, we're the last back on the boat and away, leaving the magical islands until our next visit.
I was hoping for another boat trip and a visit to Coquet Islands to see the Roseate Terns up close, however, to my surprise, the boat trips were fully booked all week. I didn't brood for to long and managed to take a scenic route back through the North Pennines which took in some beautiful Oak woodland, home to Pied Flycatcher, Redstart and Wood Warbler and then onto the desolate moors which within the greener valleys held lots of breeding Curlew, Oystercatcher, Golden Plover, Snipe and an afternoon lek of Black Grouse.
