Grey Seals of Coquet Island

Thursday 24th October
With some days having a stark contrast from one another it was a pleasant surprise to get up on Thursday to a very nice day especially as it was a day out Kayaking and the calm pleasant day meant it was a trip out on the sea . A paddle out and around Coquet Island was the plan first we had to check the harbour entrance at Amble which apparently can be tricky at times but today it was very calm.
We launched at Amble Braid at a spot I have been to many times as you have great views over the  area to watch the tide push the waders up the shore to larger and larger groups , from here we headed to the harbour exit and out to sea as soon as we got into the open the wind was apparent about 2/3 this being my first trip out away from the shoreline it took me by surprise as it tried to push me from the side . . The Island looks a long way off when you are virtually sitting on the sea but a steady pace found us at the North end where we cut through a gap in the rocks to a sheltered pool which had a couple of  Grey Seals in ,heads bobbing about and I pointed out a Purple Sandpiper just feet away. You could hear the sound of more Seals on the East side of the Island and there sounded like a good number , but I was totally amazed at just how many there where, a huge group huddled on the rocks with there calls becoming more and more raucous  some started to slip in the water and rather than  spook them all we went further out and they soon settled . To follow was the most amazing sight I have ever seen ,to be honest I find Seals rather boring they lay around on the rocks or you see a head or two bobbing on the surface  but now as we paddled along the East side there where what seemed like hundreds of Seals all around us there curiosity outweighing their  fear and now it was my fear outweighing my curiosity as some would come up just ahead beside or behind you spy hop and then dive and seem to slap their tail on the water , one came so close I thought it was going to tip me,down it went slapping hard on the water I was drenched this is by far the most amazing event I have ever been involved in , we weren't just watching from the deck of a boat we where in amongst them and when you see the size of some of the Bulls lying around the rocks I did momentarily get a bit scared but soon it seemed we where out of the zone looking back heads where bobbing about all over the sea as we left them behind and back into the wind for the return leg.
Now this paddle to Coquet  has been done probably thousands of times by others and there is even a race around and back to Amble , but I must confess I was just not expecting it to be so fantastic and for the rest of the day I was totally pumped up , Seals are not so boring after all as they certainly got my heart  racing!!!!

 Unfortunately no stunning shots of curious Grey Seals only a couple of snaps with the phone before heading out this the harbour entrance(thankfully flat calm )

 The target for today

 The chosen transport, I was not the Explorer but the Romany, make of that what you will !

The Starting Point and one of my favourite places to sit and watch the tide come in at Amble Braid

Coquet Island visit

As  I wrote in the last post  a trip over to Coquet Island with the Natural History Society and North Northumberland Bird Club at the end of last month  weather was a bit dull and cool to cold with some fresh seas on the way out ,but we stayed in the lee of the Island which was reasonably sheltered . The was not a photography trip as all you can shoot is from the swaying boat but they did go in fairly close what does not come across in photos is the noise and smell of a large colony it is very impressive , a Seal popped up to investigate and several more nearby . Birds shot overhead in every direction and I braced against the rail to stop swaying tried to follow some with little success , Roseates could be picked out on the rocks etc: but I did not pick any out in flight , and all to soon it was time to head back by now the seas had calmed some  or we where going with it , everyone remarked how good it had been and for a mere £7 (return) what a bargain .

 We Near the Island ,last year we went around and then towards the jetty ,this year  it was straight to hang around then drift south slightly

 The other boat of the party it looks quite flat but not onboard

 I would love to visit the Island sometime even if there where no birds

 It does have a small beach

This is from the south the other boat now holding station off the jetty

 Crowds of Puffins and many flying off in all directions

 Not sure if this is a prime spot or not.

 Plenty of Juveniles on the beach I will leave you to ID them all

 The terraced nesting boxes

 Numerous Seals around the Island

 Roseate Juvenile on the jetty

 The Puffins just too quick for me and the lens

 Light improved for a few minutes

 Not sure if the hide is to be out of sight or out of falling debris lets say !

Roseate with Juvenile 77 pairs was the last count I heard ?

Back to the calm waters of Amble where I had a red  colour ringed Med Gull probably the Serbian bird but the photo did not reveal any detail and it would not play ball for me.

Coquet Island

Coquet Island ,the sky was not that blue but the sea was that grey, and it was rather cool. from my phone.

Edit : Word is that 71 pairs of Roseate Terns  reared 75 chicks a good year .

A bit behind with some of my posts and its a couple of weeks since I went over to Coquet Island with the Natural History Society , also along was Killy Birder but he is more efficient than I and has posted to his Blog . A couple of Arctic Skuas on the way over, you forget just how low down you are when on a boat , plenty of Puffins on the sea all lifted as we circled the Island a single Common Scoter on the east side ,then we rounded onto the west , Terns everywhere a few Roseates sitting on the quay and some on the rocks , with birds in flight but the light was poor and no good for flight shots , a single Common Sandpiper lifted and flew in company with a Puffin till they went out of sight , this to me was the highlight of the trip seeing Puffin and Common Sand flying together or I should say side by side. The small Rib came alongside the quay and the wardens came down to meet it looking like a right bunch of HOODIES , essential supplies it seems in the form of fish and chips which they sat down and ate right there and then    !!!! cracking night was had by all ... 

 Two Arctic Skuas

 numerous flocks of Puffins

 The nearest bird of the night , and one of the few nearly in focus , its not easy from a boat.

 The Lighthouse

 Small sandy beach

 The quay and an advert for their Facebook page

Two Juvenile Roseate Terns right and left with an adult centre and a Juv Common Tern in the foreground.

 You can just make out two terns up on the weather vane

The wardens come down to the quay wheelbarrows covered  as well as their heads , its fish and chip time !!!!!!!!