A mixed bag of wildlife; Lindisfarne Safari 12/08/2013


As I collected Jaap, Nancy, Maartje and Laura for their Lindisfarne Safari it was good to see that we’d made the right decision in postponing from the previous Monday (which would have been an unpleasant day to be out and about on Holy Island).

Lindisfarne is an excellent birdwatching location in the winter months, and can be spectacular during spring and autumn migration, but the summer brings a real variety of things to look at.  As we walked around the island Starlings were swirling, Grey Seals and Eiders were bobbing just beyond the breaking surf and Swallows were feeding hungry nestlings.  There was plenty on the ground too; Cinnabar Moth caterpillars were munching on Ragwort, Viper’s Bugloss was by the side of the paths and Maartje spotted, and identified, a Dark Green Fritillary.  With exposed sandbars at low tide there were lots of Grey Seals just lazing about and the shoreline was bustling with bird activity; Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlews, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover and Turnstone were around the island’s edge and in the gooey mud of the harbour.  Golden Plover were swirling over the island in impressive flocks before settling in the fields, an adult Mediterranean Gull was perched obligingly close as we headed back to the village, and all too soon it was time to leave the island as the rising tide approached the causeway.  Landscape photography stops at Bamburgh and Newton on the way south were followed by distant views of lightning and then an impressively dark sky out over the North Sea.  With so much wildlife in one day it would be hard to choose one highlight…but my own personal favourite was the brightest pink binoculars that I’ve ever seen 🙂


2 responses to “A mixed bag of wildlife; Lindisfarne Safari 12/08/2013”

  1. We had a magical day! All of us enjoyed ourselves immensely. Althogh we had planned to visit both priory and castle as well as look at the wildlife, there was so much wildlife to see (or rather: Martin showed us so much) that we only managed to visit the priory. The more reason to come back. The trip was just perfect!

  2. Hi Nancy and all

    Thank you for your lovely comments. It was a real pleasure to meet you all, and to guide you on your tour of Lindisfarne. There can’t be many places (if anywhere!) that combine wildlife, birdwatching, landscape and heritage as well as Holy Island. Look forward to seeing the pink binoculars again in the future 🙂