Farne Islands 2026
- Speyside Wildlife
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
by Julian Sykes
We have run the Farnes tour for several successful years, with lots of surprises along the way - this year was no exception! The week hit the ground running, with visits to sites for scarce British species. Sunday began with a drive south to Ponteland and a hamlet that had been hosting a male Turtle Dove for several weeks. As a seasoned campaigner of ‘twitches’ I know how these visits can go - looking for a bird frequenting back gardens and roofs. I was wrong - it went swimmingly, as we first heard the distinctive cooing of this rare UK breeding bird, followed by fabulous views as it sat patiently on a chimney! What a start. This then continued as we found Willow Tit at this fantastic wetland, followed by another twitch - this time for a female (the best looking) Red-necked Phalarope. What a beautiful bird and this was just our first full day.
The rest of the week became much more relaxed, as we made special boat trips to the islands - Farnes, Holy and Coquet. Each held its own charm and distinctive species, with the fabulous seabird city on The Farnes producing dive-bombing terns and Puffins at point-blank range. Coquet is small but insanely productive, with all the nesting birds and Atlantic Grey Seals, plus the added bonus of Roseate Tern. This year’s sightings of this gorgeous tern were sublime and so memorable. Lindisfarne (or Holy Island) is just special - being notably spiritual and steeped in history and wildlife - none more so than the Lindisfarne Orchid, which is endemic to this small speck of land.
We next travelled inland to Kielder Forest and Water, where we had spectacular views of ‘singing’ crossbills (gleaming red in the sunlight), good numbers of Spotted Flycatchers and our first Common Redstart ever on this tour, plus we hung out at Winter’s Gibbet! A final day was spent in arguably the most productive area for the week - Druridge Bay. This network of wetlands held lots of great species, from waders to wildfowl to seabirds, plus there was an awesome place for cake, with an optional hot drink!
Each day held its own bit of magic, but what always puts the icing on the cake is our wonderful Bamburgh hotel, where it’s such a pleasure to stay for the full week.
Be there in 2027…
If you would like to join us next time we visit the Farne Islands, please email us or phone 01479 812498 to register your interest. We shall let you know as soon as further information is available.
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