Eastern Promise

Red-breasted Flycatcher - one of two on islands today (David Kinchin-smith)

Showing well! (David Kinchin-smith



Migrants on the move; Redstart and Blakcap (David Knichin-smith)



Sunday 14th September comments: BANG! Welcome to September, welcome to the Farne Islands. It was heading for a very ordinary day (light winds and calm conditions) when things started changing towards the late afternoon. Just after 3pm an easterly weather front arrived across the islands and BANG…a Red-breasted Flycatcher was discovered on Brownsman.

Within two hours the islands were rocking with a plethora of rare birds including:

Little Bunting on Brownsman

2 Red-breasted Flycatchers (both first-winter birds)

Corncrake (flushed from West Wideopens)

Wryneck on Brownsman

As well as these beauties, a good handful of migrants also arrived including our first Redwing of the autumn alongside Grasshopper Warbler, Redstart and plenty others. With more easterly winds forecast over the forthcoming week, I suspect the islands may be producing a few more noteworthy birds. Watch this space, whilst we watch this space!