The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
Bird habitat back on agenda for visitors
INNER FARNE TO REOPEN NEXT MONTH AFTER BEING CLOSED FOR TWO YEARS
AN internationally important seabird colony off the Northumberland Coast is set to reopen to visitors this spring after closing due to avian flu.
The Farne Islands, which can be reached by boat trips from Seahouses, have been closed to the public for two years due to the impacts of bird flu. Visitors will once again be able to land on Inner Farne from Monday, March 25, but Staple Island will remain closed to the public.
Around 200,00 seabirds, including puffins, Arctic terns, kittiwakes and razorbills, return to the islands to breed each year from the end of March. They depart once their chicks are fully fledged at the end of summer.
The colony was hit hard by avian flu in 2022, with rangers collecting more than 6,000 dead birds. Although the disease was also present last year, there was a reduction of 39%, with 3,647 birds collected by the team, giving some hope that immunity is building within the colony.
Sophie Jackson, area ranger for the National Trust, said: “We have been closely monitoring the impact of the disease on our breeding populations as part of international research into bird flu. This has shown that the disease has had devastating impacts on some species and at some UK sites making our conservation efforts all the more important.
“Like at other sites, it seems that the disease has declined in our birds, although we will continue to closely monitor them as the breeding season starts again.
“We continue to work closely with statutory agencies and other organisations, like the British Trust for Ornithology and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, to ensure we are across the latest research and updates so that we can put the right measures in place to look after the birds to the best of our abilities.”
Visitors will again be able to book landing trips with one of the boat companies that operate out of Seahouses Harbour to get unparalleled close-ups views of the incredible wildlife that inhabits the islands, which also includes seals. The island also has links with early Christianity and St Cuthbert, and visitors can access St Cuthbert’s Chapel, as well as admiring the Inner Farne lighthouse and Pele Tower from the outside.
Laura Knowles, visitor operations and experience manager for the National Trust, said: “We’re excited and delighted in equal measure to announce that Inner Farne will reopen for visitor landings on March 25 2024.
“We can’t wait to welcome visitors and to share the wonderful wildlife of the island up close once again. Sail around tours will also continue to be available for those visitors that want to experience the magic of the islands from the water.”