THE first little run of rare migrants which make autumn the most exciting period of the year has occurred over the past week although the return to westerly winds over the past three or four days seems to have temporarily prevent further arrivals.

Three species which occur each autumn in very small numbers have featured: red-backed shrike, barred warbler and red-breasted flycatcher. All are from either northern or eastern Europe and we still await the first of the more easterly species from Siberia.

A juvenile shrike remained around Whitburn for several days but a barred warbler at the same locality was seen only for one day. Two barred warblers were found in a bramble patch at St Mary’s Wetland and one remained for three days. The flycatcher was a one-day visitor at Druridge Pools.

These three species which we can fairly confidently hope to see at this time of year, were eclipsed by a much rarer arctic warbler which was trapped and ringed at Hauxley reserve on the Northumberland coast. Fortunately, it remained in the immediate area with a flock of tits. Another arctic warbler was found at Flamborough. Arctic warblers are very occasional visitors to our region with the previous most recent sightings being at Marsden in November 2015 and on Holy Island in September 2012.

The species breeds across the extreme north of Scandinavia and eastwards across Russia. Unsurprisingly, most which make it to Britain are recorded in Shetland and others parts of northern Scotland.

Waxwings are normally a mid-winter bird making the appearance of four in a garden near Bedlington a big surprise. I noticed on Monday that the first yellow-browed warblers of autumn had been recorded in Shetland so it seems only a matter of time before they start to turn up along our coastline.

Among larger species, a honey buzzard was watched flying south west at Boldon Flats and a ruddy shelduck turned up at Shibdon Pond at Blaydon. This could be the individual which has been wandering around ponds in Durham and Northumberland in recent weeks. Most ruddy shelducks are generally assumed to be escapes from captivity as they are a popular member of many wildfowl collections.

The southward movement of terns has continued with a few roseates still being recorded. In the opposite direction, pale-bellied brent geese have been moving up the coast to their only British wintering area at Lindisfarne. More than 600 were already there this week and parties of others have been arriving daily from their breeding grounds on Spitzbergen in the Arctic Ocean.