Flipside

The golden easterlies subsided overnight giving way to SW winds and sunshine by dawn. This didn’t seem promising but a jolly round Inner Farne pleasantly racked up some lingering bits, while this evening brought a couple of newbies.

So close yet so far..a Whinchat ponders the mile between it and Bamburgh Castle on the mainland.

Lingering nugs included 2 Wheater, 2 Whinchat, 1 Sedge Warbler, 4 Willow Warbler (1 in off the sea…so new I guess) and 1 Pied Fly. But despite the unfavourable winds (however a change in direction can bring birds down, but another story for another time) migration continued with highlight of the day being a Wood Sandpiper that flew low west calling! Lovely!

Visual migration continued throughout the day with 13 Swallow and 2 Swift north and 2 House Martin south overland. Over the big, swell fringed North Sea 18 Wigeon went north while 269 Golden Plover went west.

Other interest involved 1 Common Sandpiper, 19 Curlew, 2 Whinbrel and 160+ Knot chilling around having a cheeky peck here or there.

With the humidity hanging in the glorious sun haze filled air a walk produced Grasshopper Warbler and Whitethroat – both new (or overlooked, especially in the case of Groppy McGee). Historically tomorrow has held 2 Greenish Warbler, Thrush Nightingale, Icky, Bluethroat etc on the Farnes so lets hope these flipside winds keep giving.

Whinchat loving life on the Veg Patch wall.

The Farnes poolige is primed for mud peckingrare, our water table is looking great at the moment and with lots of exposed mud when will the Wilson Phal pitch down here? (If you dont know what one is then search female Wilsons Phalarope - it will blow your eyes out!).

See ou tomorrow.