Inner Farne, April 29th 2026…
Swathes of Guillemots were assembled like crowds ready to cheer
Returning troops from historic campaigns in distant lands, as we disembarked
And the cacophony was augmented by the strange cries of Puffins near burrows,
Turning their heads to offer countless cameras shots of their bills in profile,
Like in criminals’ mugshots from a Victorian jail. ..
Two Kittiwakes cramped upon a cleft in a cliff leaned precariously but with no fear,
Pairs of Razorbills rested more quietly on wider ledges, face paint slickly marked
And a huge Gannet added to a wailing mass of Guillemots’ sorrows
By crashing their roost like Gulliver in Lilliput, creating space to preen for a while,
As it basked in the sunlight with a stretch and a flail…
Yet to see Puffins on the surface of the ocean,
Bobbing about in a kind of restless commotion,
Was like seeing plastic ducks floating in river races
With looks of surprise upon their comical faces…
Pete Ray…
30th April 2026…
On a Serenity boat trip from Seahouses, as far as the Longstone lighthouse, around the Farne Islands and landing for an amazing hour on Inner Farne…
A brilliant experience…
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