Trip Reports
Report on Holy Island Day Trip- 10th September 2005
Saturday September 10th was a day to remember. We woke up to the sound of rain, thinking perhaps our bird watching might be postponed because of the dull, wet weather - not an ideal day for Holy Island! How wrong we were, after a cheery 7:30am call from Mark, who was confident the weather would improve, we were on our way. By 10am a group of seven enthusiastic birdwatchers of mixed abilities, photographer Mark and leader Mark Winter, had gathered on the mainland side of the Holy Island causeway. Another small group were setting off to brave the Pilgrims Way across shifting sand and deep pools left by the receding tide. Happily for everyone, as Mark predicted, the rain stopped and the skies were brighter. We have both always loved Holy Island with its beautiful sky scapes and changing seas. From the causeway we saw flocks of waders chasing the tide, these included Curlew, Dunlin, Oyster Catcher, and Grey Plover. Thanks to disturbance provided by the Pilgrim walkers we were treated to the amazing sight of several hundred Golden Plover wheeling across the sky. In the distance their families of grey and common seals, which are not so common, playing on a sand bank and in the water. We moved from the end of the causeway to Chare Ends and amongst the hundreds of snails brought out by the wet conditions, spotted Linnet, Meadow Pipit, Wheatear and also a Pied Flycatcher which we were told was unusual.
On to the Lindisfarne Hotel and feeling a little chilly everyone decided to enjoy a welcome coffee. We then walked to the Heugh opposite the two mainland Pinnacles and immediately spotted a Grey Heron, who either followed us or was one of several we saw throughout the day. We saw a variety of waders again including Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits and on the way to the Lough (nature reserve) we spotted a Merlin in full flight scattering all before him, the only bird of prey we saw that day. At the Lough hide we lunched watching a variety of waterfowl, including a delightful family of Little Grebes, and a not so delightful stoat who fortunately didn’t seem to disturb the birds. From there we walked to Emanuel Head (the white pyramid) and enjoyed a wonderful flying display from the many Gannets sweeping down from Bass Rock, along with Fulmer, Kittiwake, Artic Tern, Arctic Skua and a Guillemot.
Time was getting on so we began heading back to the hotel for tea, passing clumps of the lovely white flowered Grass of Parnasus and electric blue Viper’s Bugloss. On our way along the Links Mark was in contact with a group of birdwatchers whom we had seen peering intently into a hawthorn bush. They moved off and we walked quietly across to see a beautiful, small delicate pale yellow bird, very like the Willow Warbler that was also flying around the bush. We had become twitchers by sighting an Icterine Warbler, a bird very rarely found in England, which had blown in on yesterday’s easterly wind en-route to Africa. It was the highlight of a very interesting day.
Arriving back at the hotel we were treated to a delicious tea of home made cake and scones. We had all learnt so much and going through our “Birds to See” list, which totaled an impressive 60 species, helpfully jogged memories. A short slide show of the birds we had, and might have seen was again just what the new twitcher needed.
The lovely day ended with peaceful sunshine and blue skies and reluctantly we took our leave as the tide headed in. We will keep coming back for more!
Jean & Liz, Newcastle