Long-tailed Icterine Goose

So, hello. Again. How are you? Good.

It’s been a while so here’s what’s been happening on the frantic world of the Farnes..(oh and some my mates who aren’t birders have asked me to explain some of my wack terminology so I will!).

Okay so it’s been a while again. And I apologise profusely for the lack of updates to anyone who’s bothered about my activities…BUT it is representative of my lack of laptop time – ie I’ve been out birding ‘n shiz.

So birdwise since my last posting it’s been a rollercoaster! Ups and downs, storms and calm spells. I’ll start with the storms (where I left off).

Just after my last posting a major westerly (sigh) storm hit us. Now to those not ‘in the know’ westerlies on the east coast push birds away, basically we want east winds to bring stuff in from Europe or push seabirds closer to shore. Despite this some lovely Carduelis finches in the shape of 2 Redpoll and 1 Siskin appeared. One Redpoll had deformed feet and was later captured, then released and seemed okay.

Lesser Redpoll in the hand. Pity bout his legs...and feet...

Since then the winds have eased, and picked up, and eased etc..blah. During a spell of increasing winds a stonking 7 Long-tailed Skuas passed north through Staple Sound, and seawatchers wet dream (ahem). These birds breed up in Scandinavia and are generally pretty awesome.

An interlude between stuff happening produced a beautiful little wader in the form of Curlew Sandpiper:

Juvenile Curlew Snadpiper - Mega!

Since then we’ve had a pretty quiet period til some mist hit and bam! A spanking Icterine Warbler (a classic east coast reverse/drift migrant – where it migrates the wrong way or drifts over the North Sea in favourable east winds) was found by Ciaran among a smattering of common and scarce migrants including the first Brambling of the autumn.

Icky as they're known. Icterine Warbler showing well.

Today brought mega wildfowl (duck and geese) action with good numbers of Pinkies (Pink-footed Geese) moving south with a total of 622 south and rising. Other birds seen have been a very late Common Swift (usually pass through in August), Tree Pipit, Wheatear 6, Robin, Song Thrush, Willow Warbler, Rook 10E while the big’uns or non-passerines involved Grey Plover 2, knot 15, Dunlin, Purple Sand, Curlew 99 as well as Teal, Wigeon and Common Scoter passing through.

Pinkies and a rainbow - Psycogoosic

Inner Farne light gettin' goosed.

Jamie getting his shot.

Choccy Bear wondering where the geese are (look above him hehe!)

Oooo and there’s moths too:

Frosted Orange was new for the year.

Warden life is chilling out abit as we catch up on jobs we couldn’t sort while the breeders were here as well as lashings of birding to record all these sexy migrants.

The Farnes from the south

Grey Seal loving life