An amateur film showing various nesting birds and their chicks around Seahouses harbour and Farne Islands including Black-backed Gulls, Kittiwakes, Guillemots as wells Terns nesting on the Inner Farnes. On the mainland the filmmaker records Peregrine, Kestrel and Tawny Owl chicks. The final part of the film along the cliffs at St Abbs in Scotland show nesting Herring Gulls. Title: Kodachrome Title: Seahouses harbour, the resort of numerous unmated and immature gulls. The film opens showing...

An amateur film showing various nesting birds and their chicks around Seahouses harbour and Farne Islands including Black-backed Gulls, Kittiwakes, Guillemots as wells Terns nesting on the Inner Farnes. On the mainland the filmmaker records Peregrine, Kestrel and Tawny Owl chicks. The final part of the film along the cliffs at St Abbs in Scotland show nesting Herring Gulls. Title: Kodachrome Title: Seahouses harbour, the resort of numerous unmated and immature gulls. The film opens showing beached fishing boats in the harbour. Title: Slow motion shows their dexterity. Note the angle of the body before seizing food, and the “kick-off” when rising from the water. Views follow of young gulls in flight, and in slow motion grasping at prey near the water’s surface. Title: A double kick after a heavy landing. A gull “kicks-off” from the surface as it lifts heavy prey. Views follow from a boat of cliffs which attract nesting sea birds. Title: Staple Island: Black Backed Gulls and Puffins The film shows gulls and puffins in their natural environment. A man walks through a grassy area which has thrown up an abundance of white flowers. He looks around him, followed by views of puffins. Title: The dainty kittiwakes The film shows a colony of kittiwakes, many sit on precarious nests looking after newly hatched chicks. Adults return to nests to feed their chicks. Title: Observe the retarding action of wings and tail. A slows motion sequence shows a kittiwake landing on a nest Title: Guillemots on the pinnacles. No resentment is shown when they land on each other’s backs. Views follow of guillemots perched on rocks and crowded rock pinnacles. Flying guillemots approach a crowded pinnacle, the landing is made with the assistance of the cushioning effect of many others who happen to be in the way! Title: Terns on the Inner Farne Views show terns eggs on the ground. The terns vigorously guard their nest sites, one finally settles on the eggs. Title: Fulmar Petrel only a single egg is laid. Views follow of a single egg on shingle, an adult petrel is shown on the nest. Title: The docile eider duck View of an adult duck on its nest. Title: A razorbill at home A view from above shows a razorbill on its nesting site, a cliff face overlooking the sea. Title: A peep at a peregrine’s eyrie A car makes its way along a rough track travelling towards the camera. Gorse bushes grow near the route, the car negotiates a ford which crosses the track. A view of some pieces of kit placed on the ground include boxes for film equipment and rope. Title: The Kodachrome film was lost en route. Don’t you miss the colour? Black & White: The film shows two peregrine chicks on their nest on a steep valley face where a stream runs. Title: Back by the stream, where the film was found. The film, still in black and white, shows a small cascade of water running down over rocks, the film goes back to colour at this point. Title: Some odd shots: Swans – blackbird’s nest – young snipe Swans sit on large clumps of vegetation amongst reeds. A view follows of distinctive blue eggs in a blackbird’s nest. A handler gently holds a young snipe in cupped hands. The youngster is then put back on the ground. The handler holds it for the camera once more. Title: Young Kestrel A view follows of kestrel chicks in their nest. One of the chicks sits on a twig and the film shows the bird in profile. Title: Upsetting his balance to display the rounded wings. A handler lets a kestrel perch on his hand. The young bird utilises its wings to maintain balance. Title: The tawny owl’s nest. A man with a film camera points it at the trunk of a tree. Part of the trunk is decayed, this has created a sheltered hollow area. In the hollow trunk are three tawny owl eggs, a handler removes the eggs and examines them. Title: On the cliffs of St Abbs An overhead view shows large colonies of sea birds on a rocky outcrop. On nearby cliffs there is lots of activity with birds flying to and fro. The density of the gathering birds is very high on some of the outcrops, Roughs seas pound the rocks below the colonies. Title: Herring gulls are numerous. The chicks are prettily mottled The film shows an egg on a very open nest, little more than a scrape on the ground. Another nest nearby occupies a rocky shelf. A chick sits near a nest, another comes to join it. A close view follows of a chick with the mottled markings as described in the title and this final view ends the film.