Iceland .. Whale-watching, Húsavík

20 years ago, we took a boat out of Húsavík, and watched Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) along with a varied and diverse selection of sea-birds. On this visit, our 3hr boat trip turned up Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with up to four individuals observed. However, bird-wise it was somewhat quiet with Puffin (Fratercula arctica) and Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) thin on the ground (err .. thin on the sea?).

Bird List Husavik Whale Trip

Puffin
Fulmar
Arctic Skua (Stercorarius parasiticus)
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus)
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)
Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle)
Guillemot (Uria aalge)
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)

We were whale-watching with: Gentle Giants

Inner Farne, Farne Islands, Northumbria

All Aboard

 

Boat Trip to Inner Farne via:

Billy Shiel's Boat Trips

Landing on Inner Farne via:

National Trust - Farne islands

A cracking day on the Farne Islands

Did you spot the "bridled" guillemot (Uria aalge)?

a female eider (Somateria mollissima) shelters
her young from a watchful herring gull
(Larus argentatus)

For an informed discussion of the breeding birds and natural history of the Farne Islands, I would highly recommend that you follow Ed Tooth's blog - Ed is a National Trust Ranger currently working on the islands. Ed's Blog can be found at:

http://occasional-birder.blogspot.co.uk/

Photos 1, 2, 4, 12 and 13 copyright Alison Hogan

Staffa & Lunga, Treshnish Isles



Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) via Staffa

ready for my close-up ! Lunga

puffin (Fratercula arctica)



razorbill (Alca torda)

fulmar