Migration still slow

During the last week there has been an arrival of summer migrants, with most of the early arrivals represented. However, numbers still seem to be quite low. Although spring feels late this year the first Sedge Warblers have arrived bang on cue and Ring Ouzel has pretty much caught up.

BirdTrack reporting rate for Ring Ouzel

With that in mind it will be interesting to see how the next week unfolds. There is a good window in the weather on Friday going into Saturday when winds will be easterly turning southerly and light across the Channel and the southern North Sea. This should allow anything held up to move, at least those birds that have made it north of the Pyrenees. It looks like there will be a blocking weather front just north of the mountains that will probably stop any birds moving in to it in their tracks.

Pied Flycatcher by John Harding

So, what might turn up? Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts and more Ring Ouzels should definitely be a feature; in fact it might well be a Ring Ouzel weekend. We should see more Black Redstarts too and possibly one or two more White-spotted Bluethroats.

Cuckoos seem to pretty much on time too but if you haven’t heard one yet you could well do at the weekend. With any luck we should have our first satellite tagged bird back too, the closest is just over three hundred miles south of his Suffolk territory, so he might well make his move on Friday. You can follow him and four other tagged Cuckoos here.

Whitethroat by Amy Lewis

Right now we should be seeing Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Yellow Wagtails and Tree Pipits either moving through or singing on territory; this could well be the case on Saturday morning. White Wagtail and Little Gull are classic birds for this time of the year in these conditions too.

Wryneck by Jill Pakenham

With easterlies forecast it is worth keeping an eye out for a Wryneck or two, especially if you plan on visiting the east coast, and who knows? We might be treated to a Pallid Swift too.