Northumberland Seabirds and Castles

Transcription

1 Northumberland Seabirds and Castles Naturetrek Wildlife Photography Tour Outline itinerary Day 1 Day 2 Meet Newcastle; transfer Bamburgh. Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Day 3/4 Farne Islands. Day 5 Return to Newcastle after lunch. Departs June Focus Seabirds and coastal landscapes Grading A/B. Easy to moderate day walks. Dates and Prices See (tour code GBR54) Highlights: Based in a comfortable hotel in Bamburgh Seabird colonies including Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Shags, Common Eider and Arctic Terns Fully day visit to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne Two full day trips to Inner Farne and Staple Island Evening photography of Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh Castles Led by expert wildlife and landscape photographer Robert Harvey From top: Arctic Tern, Puffin, Dunstanburgh Castle. All images Robert Harvey Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf s Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

2 Introduction The Northumberland coast is photogenic with mile upon mile of sandy beaches and big skies, its broad vistas and moody, changeable cloud formations are pleasing to the eye and the photographer s lens! Situated a 30 minute boat ride off the Northumberland coast, our visits to the Farne Islands will provide excellent opportunities to photograph a tantalising array of seabirds at close range, from the exquisite but feisty Arctic Terns bringing Sandeels to their chicks, to Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes and, of course, the ever photogenic Puffins. Back on the mainland, we will photograph some of the county s iconic castles, including Dunstanborough and Bamburgh, making the best use of light and tides to capture atmospheric images. Kittiwakes (by Robert Harvey) This holiday offers some of the finest wildlife photography opportunities in England, together with landscape photography of the evocative coastal scenery. Whilst our focus will primarily be on photographing seabirds and the area s numerous castles, we will also enjoy other aspects of coastal scenery and the early summer wild flowers. Specialist guiding in photographic techniques throughout will make this holiday both productive and memorable. Itinerary Please note that the itinerary below offers our planned programme of excursions. However, adverse weather & other local considerations can necessitate some re-ordering of the programme during the course of the tour, though this will always be done to maximise best use of the time and weather conditions available. In particular, boat trips to the Farne Islands cannot operate if the weather and sea conditions are deemed unsuitable for sailing. If the forecast suggests that this may be the case, we will re-order the itinerary to maximise our chances of visiting Inner Farne and Staple Island, and landing on both islands. Day 1 Meet Newcastle, transfer Bamburgh We meet in Newcastle in the early afternoon before transferring to the Victoria Hotel in Bamburgh, where we will be based for the duration of this short break. We will start with an introductory presentation on the Northumberland coast, and our expert photographer-leader will offer some advice on techniques for seabird photography that are sure to come in handy over the next few days. Then, after an early dinner, we will spend the evening on the coast around Bamburgh enjoying some coastal landscape photography. The evenings are long at this time of year in Northumberland, and we plan to use them to the full over the next 3 days. Naturetrek August 17 2

3 Day 2 Holy Island Today we plan to spend a full day on Lindisfarne (Holy Island). We will arrive on the island before it is cut off from the mainland by the rising tide, and stay until just before sunset when the causeway will open again. During the day we will explore the castle, ruined abbey and the tremendous photographic potential around the harbour. This is an active fishing harbour and the likes of the highly distinctive fishing sheds made from upturned boat hulls offer the possibility of making many interesting images. We will also explore the sand dunes on the north and west coast of the island, which are a National Nature Reserve. Eleven species of orchids flower in the dunes, and in early summer the purple Northern Marsh Orchid flourishes along with the pink Early Marsh Orchid and Marsh Helleborine. Lindisfarne Castle (by Robert Harvey) Finally, when the tide once again retreats, we return to the mainland and our hotel for the evening where we will review today s images and discuss our photographic techniques. Days 3 4 Farne Islands For each of the next two days we will enjoy full-day visits to the Farne Islands by boat, allowing us close views of the spectacular seabird cliffs from the sea, along with basking Grey Seals. Each day we will spend two hours on each of Staple Island and Inner Farne, where we will enjoy excellent photographic opportunities of Puffin, Razorbill, Guillemot, Kittiwake, Shag and Arctic Tern. Several of these species are highly confiding and we can expect to enjoy some close encounters. We will practice flight shots of Puffins bringing Sandeels to their young and Arctic Terns defending their nests. Puffins fly very quickly and require practice to track them with a telephoto lens and lock on focus. Arctic Terns, meanwhile, will approach us so closely that wide angle lenses will be the equipment of choice to capture images of them in flight. Left: Grey Seal. Right: Arctic Tern (both by Robert Harvey) Returning from the Farnes in the late afternoon, we will have an early evening meal and then end each day with landscape photography at one of Northumberland s iconic coastal castles. Naturetrek August 17 3

4 Dunstanburgh Castle is situated on a lonely crag, a mile from the nearest road, and we plan to photograph it during the late afternoon and early evening making use of the best light and rocks exposed by the tide to create interesting foregrounds. Bamburgh Castle occupies a commanding position on the edge of Bamburgh village and is best photographed from the rocky coast to its north-west. Day 5 St Mary's Lighthouse; transfer Newcastle After breakfast, we will travel south to St Mary s lighthouse, situated on another tidal island. Reached between the tides via a short causeway, St. Mary's has all the fascination of a miniature, part-time island. The surrounding Nature Reserve contains an area of rock pools, cliff-top grassland, a beach and newly created wetland habitats which provide good foregrounds for landscape images using the lighthouse as a focal point. We plan to photograph from the mainland as the tide covers the causeway. Finally, after lunch today, we make our way back to Newcastle where we will go our separate ways. Tour grading Grade A/B Easy to moderate day walks. We will be walking up to 5 km on Lindisfarne and at Dunstanburgh, though only minor elevation changes are involved. Staple Island is quite rocky and can be slippery when wet. Some of the beaches have loose boulders. Focus This is a specialist wildlife photography holiday, aimed at improving and advanced amateur photographers, focused on photographing seabirds and coastal scenery. We spend time on boats and on foot searching for target species and iconic landscapes in order to provide excellent photographic opportunities. Bamburgh Castle (by Robert Harvey) Food & accommodation included in the price We will be based at the comfortable Victoria Hotel in Bamburgh ( where all rooms are en-suite. Breakfasts and dinners are included in the price of the holiday; lunches are not. Weather We hope for pleasant sunny days but like the rest of Britain, Northumberland is subject to unpredictable weather. In fact the best light for seabird photography would be bright overcast Naturetrek August 17 4

5 days without excessive light contrast. A mixture of sunshine and showers might produce the most atmospheric conditions for photographing castles and other coastal scenery. It would be prudent to be prepared for the possibility of rain, possibly heavy on occasions. We can also expect cooler temperatures during our evening excursions. During the day the islands we are visiting can get hot in the sunshine, and the sun s rays can be very strong so a hat and sun cream are highly recommended. Equipment to bring Digital single lens reflex camera Telephoto lenses (minimum 300mm focal length; ideally 400mm or 500mm, for seabird photography) Standard and wide angle zoom lenses for coastal landscapes Macro lens for dune flowers Tripod Monopod Beanbag Cable release Waterproof camera cover Skylight, neutral density and polarising filters Hiking boots and/or wellington boots Hat Kneeling pad - useful in the Farne Islands How to book your place Guillemot in flight (by Robert Harvey) In order to book your place on this holiday, please give us a call on with a credit or debit card, book online at or alternatively complete and post the booking form at the back of our main Naturetrek brochure, together with a deposit of 20% of the holiday cost plus any room supplements if required. If you do not have a copy of the brochure, please call us on or request one via our website. Receive our e-newsletter Join the Naturetrek ing list and be the first to hear about new tours, additional departures and new dates, tour reports and special offers. Visit to sign up. Naturetrek August 17 5