Uploaded June 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Our Artist in Residence for Nature Unwrapped, Chris Watson, has created a sound calendar of environments from the northern hemisphere. In this episode, we will be hearing sounds from the Staple Island, one of the Outer Group of the Farne Islands in Northumberland.
The cliffs and stacks of Staple Island are occupied by seabirds: in season this is a densely packed gathering of high-rise communities. In the basement, grey seals bask on the rocks at sea level, their strange siren songs echoing the voices which drew sailors towards a watery grave here centuries ago. Shags, guillemots and razorbills balance together on the shelflike layers above and colonies of puffins occupy a honeycomb of burrows on the grassy banks. Above, the air is punctuated by the battle cries of arctic terns defending their sites from all intruders with their blood-red bills.
Our Artist in Residence for Nature Unwrapped, Chris Watson, has created a sound calendar of environments from the northern hemisphere. In this episode, we will be hearing sounds from the Staple Island, one of the Outer Group of the Farne Islands in Northumberland.
The cliffs and stacks of Staple Island are occupied by seabirds: in season this is a densely packed gathering of high-rise communities. In the basement, grey seals bask on the rocks at sea level, their strange siren songs echoing the voices which drew sailors towards a watery grave here centuries ago. Shags, guillemots and razorbills balance together on the shelflike layers above and colonies of puffins occupy a honeycomb of burrows on the grassy banks. Above, the air is punctuated by the battle cries of arctic terns defending their sites from all intruders with their blood-red bills.
