Ort-umn Starts Here!

Migrant cracker; Ortolan Bunting (David Steel)

Showing well on Brownsman (David Steel)

First since 2010 (David Steel)

Present late afternoon on Brownsman (Laura Shearer)

Thursday 11th September comments: It’s September and anything can happen. This is the Farne s and boy when it happens, it can happen, and today was one of those days…

Today witnessed a continuation of the recent mild weather with warm conditions and flat seas. A few migrant birds were on the move as three Pied Flycatchers, Reed Warbler and Garden Warbler all arrived but then Brownsman pulled it out of the bag.

Just after 4pm, an obliging first-winter Ortolan Bunting was discovered feeding along the east rocks of the island and showed well to the admiring ranger team. This represents the first record on the islands since three were together in September 2010 and is this just a sign of things to come? Watch this space…its about to get interesting…

Basking in the Glory!

Not today's animal - this was the first for the Farnes in 2007

A very distincitive profile!



Which way now?



Tuesday 9th September comments: It's been another stunning start to the week on the Farnes as the mild weather and flat seas continue to dominate. Migrant birds continue to move through the islands on their way to southern wintering grounds whilst the first sign of winter has been noted; Brent Geese on the move (heading back into the UK).

However this morning was all about another visitor, a slightly bigger and more impressive visitor. Just after 9am the team were carrying out their daily cetacean watch of Inner Sound (the stretch of water between Inner Farne and the mainland) and spotted the distinctive shape of a Basking Shark!

These huge fish have been seen before; in 2007 (two) and 2012 and this represented the third confirmed sighting in Farne Waters. Although no photos were taken (a bit too distant) I thought I'd share the photos of the very first animal spotted in Farnes waters in 2007. It's one huge, impressive fish and lets hope it sticks around because this is one visitor you really DO want to see. Hopefully more sightings to follow....

Sylvia Shocker

First Barred Warbler of the autumn (Ed Tooth)

A dead Barred Warbler (Laura Shearer)

Sunday 7th September comments: Migrants have continued to arrive over the weekend although we had the unusual case of a ‘two bird theory’. On the usual birding round of Inner Farne, a skulking Barred Warbler was discovered in the veg garden on the island which remained all morning (our first this autumn). However with the presence of visitors, the bird disappeared and not much more was thought about it.

However later that day a Barred Warbler was found freshly dead under the elder bushes on Inner Farne (a sad demise for such a brute of a visitor). So we thought that was that, the bird had perished and we moved on. But was it? Within twenty minutes the original bird was rediscovered! Re-incarnation? Maybe or a case of two Barred Warblers on Inner Fane, one of which had died.

So the strange and wonderful world of Planet Farnes keep on throwing up surprises…

More Migrants In

Up to seven Pied Flycatchers arrived on the Farnes (David Roche)

Showing well as usual (David Roche)

First Lesser Whitethroat of the autumn

Spotted Flycatcher caught and ringed

18 Whinchat arrived across the islands on Thursday

Friday 5th September comments: More migrant birds have arrived on the Farnes over the last few days with a good number of Whinchat, Pied Flycatchers and Willow Warblers amongst others. With favourable light winds predicted over the weekend, the islands will hopefully produce even more over the next few days so come out and visit and see what all the fuss is about!

Little Fall

Little Stint on Brownsman pond

Little Gem!

Present all day on Brownsman pond



Goldcrests on the move



Wednesday 3rd September comments: Light south-easterly winds with misty conditions produced a reasonable arrival of common migrants with one or two noticeable highlights. A Little Egret north was only the seventh ever (although records now increasing n an annual basis) whilst a very obliging Little Stint showed well on Brownsman pond.

It’s now September so things are hotting up and you can’t take your eyes off the islands at the moment.

Today’s Highlights: Little Egret (7th Farne Islands record) Common Sandpiper 1, Little Stint 1 juvenile, Black-tailed Godwit 2, Golden Plover 1,200, Greenshank 1, Snipe 2, Knot 1, Whimbrel 2, Roseate Tern 15, Whinchat 2, Wheatear 7, Redstart 1, Sand Martin 1, Swallow 23, Yellow Wagtail 4, Garden Warbler 1, Willow Warbler 9, Lesser Whitethroat 1, Goldcrest 5, Spotted Flycatcher 2, Pied Flycatcher 2 and Tree Sparrow 1 on Brownsman.

Sparrows Spotted!

We don't get many of these...Tree Sparrows

Spuggies enjoying Brownsman

A flock (!) of Tree Sparrows

Spotted Redshank...first record since 2011

Sleep time

Tuesday 2nd September comments: The Farne Islands is a great place for watch migrating birds as there is plenty of food and we act as a good safe refuge (we are stuck out in the North Sea after all).

As the weather has settled (a ridge of high pressure over the islands is producing some lovely days at the moment) it has encouraged birds to move. Today we had a very unexpected arrival in the form of 26 Tree Sparrows! For an arable field in central England that would be reasonable, but for an island in the North Sea? Crazy!

The birds (all juveniles) were just enjoying the calm weather and eventually moved back off towards the mainland. This represented the first island record since 2011 and not surprisingly, the largest ever flock recorded! However our day wasn’t finished as a juvenile Spotted Redshank showed well on Brownsman, again our first since 2011.

It’s never dull on Planet Farnes. What next? Blue Tit – we’ve not had once since 1977….

Farne Islands Seabird Populations 2014

Good year for our breeding Shags

Increase in Arctic Tern numbers

Kittiwake chicks galore

Farne Islands breeding season 2014

It’s been a bumper year on the Farne Islands as mild summer weather combined with good food availability has led to an excellent breeding season. The majority of seabirds showed welcome population increases with some species bouncing back from recent poor seasons. Some of the most noticeable highlights include:

Shag up 37% to 795 pairs (from 582)

Kittiwake up 21% to 4,175 pairs (from 3,442)

Eider up 16% to 639 pairs (from 552)

Sandwich Tern up 16% to 959 pairs (from 824)

Arctic Tern up 15% to 2,212 pairs (from 1,921)

Guillemot up 4% to Farnes record of 51,883 individuals (increase of 1,835)

It was a welcome boost for the Shag population following heavy mortality during the winter of 2012-13 which halved the Farnes breeding population the following year. There was also welcome news for Kittiwakes as the population increased by 21% and good numbers of young fledged; a positive step forward following recent poor breeding seasons.

As has been the case in recent years it was also another good year for our breeding auks with Guillemots at record levels, Puffins producing huge numbers of fledglings and the Razorbill population maintaining itself. Other birds to show increases included both the Arctic and Sandwich Terns, whilst Eiders (also known as Cuddy Ducks) made a welcome increase. Other highlights included the Farnes first ever confirmed breeding of Shoveler whilst Northumberland’s only breeding pair of Red-breasted Mergansers nested again.

In general it was an excellent breeding season; with bumper population numbers, good food supply, settled weather and excellent numbers of young fledging the islands. Encouragingly this success story was mirrored along many other east coast seabird colonies; halting the well documented declines in recent years. The year of 2014 will certainly be remembered as a good season for our nesting seabirds.

Farne Islands 2014 Breeding Numbers

Shelduck 1 pair (down 1 pair)

Mallard 21 pairs (up 6 pairs)

Eider 639 pairs (up 87) increase of 16%

RB Merganser 1 pair (level)

Shoveler 1 pair (first ever Farnes breeding record)

Cormorant 93 pairs (up 6) increase of 7%

Shag 795 pairs (up 213) increase of 37%

Oystercatcher 39 pairs (down 2)

Ringed Plover 6 pairs (level)

BH Gull 610 pairs (up 45) increase of 8%

LBB Gull 799 pairs (up 34) increase of 4%

Herring Gull 937 pairs (up 63) increase of 7%

GBB Gull 17 pairs (up 2)

Kittiwake 4,175 pairs (up 733) increase 21%

Sandwich Tern 959 pairs (up 135) increase 16%

Common Tern 88 pairs (down 6)

Arctic Tern 2,198 pairs (up 277) increase 14%

Guillemot 51,883 individuals (up 1,835) increase 4%

Razorbill 501 pairs (down 4)

Puffin 39,962 pairs (level)