Recently NHSN’s Student Naturalists: Amelia and Lekshmi ventured to Holy Island as part of David Noble-Rollin’s “Birds of the Autumn” education course. Find out more about their adventure below.
Before the trip
As Student Naturalists, we had the privilege of attending David Noble-Rollins’ Birds of Autumn course. One of the many field trips included in this course was to Holy Island. So far, we have thoroughly enjoyed the experience, especially as novice ornithologists. David and the other attendees have been incredibly patient and helpful in teaching us the basics of ornithology.
Before this field trip, we expected windy and cold weather, along with the opportunity to see many waders. However, as you’ll read later, our expectations were exceeded.
To begin our journey, we drove along the beautiful A1 to Holy Island. At this time of year, the trees were showcasing their bright autumn colours. The sky was a lovely blue, and we spotted numerous flocks of birds, though we couldn’t identify them. We also saw some cows and sheep along the way.
During the trip
The first great experience was driving over the causeway. We were pleasantly surprised by the number of waders, such as curlews, that we observed foraging for food before the tide receded further. We were also able to identify collared doves by describing them to David; there were many of these lovely birds around.
Once we arrived at the car park, the group gathered to observe sparrows, collared doves, and a curlew. We then wandered to the west side of the island, where we witnessed a loud flock of approximately 300 Brent Geese atop a cliff. In addition, we spotted more curlews and around 100 Grey Seals on a small island. Many attendees remarked that they had never heard grey seals make such loud calls; it was truly amazing to experience.
As we continued along the island toward Lindisfarne Priory and St. Cuthbert’s Island—rumoured to be the place where he escaped to avoid the monks in the abbey—we spotted a grey heron, more curlews, and our first oystercatchers and bar-tailed godwits. Unfortunately, this part of the island was rather quiet, possibly due to the high foot traffic.
After climbing up to the highest point and enjoying the view of the sea on one side and the Lindisfarne Priory on the other, we climbed straight down into the Holy Island beach where we spotted many Ringed Plovers for the first time on this journey. We observed them pecking on the rocks and shells on the beach, looking for food. Then, we walked past the Golden Plover statue on a wall to watch some Roe Deer galloping along a lake. The same lake had the most beautiful Teal Ducks chilling by it with the company of a swan and sparrows peeking out of little holes in a neighbouring hut. And that was not it! As we walked towards the next destination, one of us spotted a sneaky Redshank stationary on a stream near the lake.
The next destination, through a large field with many fluffy black caterpillars and Yellow Fieldcap fungi, and over the bumps and ridges of dunes, lay the long beachside of Holy Island. Here, after we saw the limestone quarries to one side, we excitedly looked towards the water on the other side where the Greater Black-Backed Gulls stole the view. We instinctively popped our binoculars on to take a closer look and that was when we saw these long black birds gliding over the ocean surface far behind the Gulls and David confirmed they were juvenile Gannets! It was amazing to see their characteristic feature of diving into the sea mid-flight for food. As we got off the dunes onto the beach, we saw many varieties of birds as if the beach was giving us a summary of everything we’d seen so far on the trip. There were Redshanks, Bar-tailed Godwits, little Ringed Plovers, Dunlins, and Turnstones.
And that was the final point. We circled back to our starting point of the trip along what used to be the train tracks that carried Limestone from the quarries to the kiln. It was a pleasant walk with many swans and little birds passing by, keeping us company.
After the trip
Leaving the island, we realised how much we had learned about the birds. The same birds we saw when we arrived were now familiar, and we could identify most of them. Knowing the birds and their role in nature made us feel connected and appreciative of the environment.
Our trip to Holy Island for the Birds of Autumn course was truly special. We were lucky to have amazing sunny weather, which made it easy to enjoy the island’s beauty and peace. The different landscapes were perfect for spotting and learning about various birds with expert David Noble-Rolling.
As we left, we felt proud and happy to have learned so much about the incredible birds that lived there. Being with other bird lovers made this experience even better. The beauty of this field trip came from the willingness of the participants to share their knowledge of birds and the island itself. Such a pleasant group where everyone with different stories came together to appreciate our waders! It was so inspiring to see this level of knowledge and passion to learn more in the community. We’ll always remember our time on Holy Island and can’t wait to discover more about the wonderful world of birds in the future.
For those interested in learning more about the birds we spotted during our trip to Holy Island, there is a copy of ‘The Birds of Holy Island & Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve’ by Ian Kerr available at the Great North Museum library. This book provides valuable insights into the migratory patterns and feeding behaviours of all the birds we observed. As well as some gorgeous photos to help with identification.
