After almost a month of easterly airflow that resulted in
and amazing autumn for visible migration and the arrival of large numbers of
scarce migrants along the east coast, the winds became westerly earlier this
week, and as if by magic a Red-eyed Vireo
was found in the garden of the Sumburgh
Hotel at the southern tip of Mainland, Shetland. The first Semi-palmated Sandpiper of the autumn added to the westerly feel of
around twenty Pectoral Sandpipers and up to half-a-dozen Buff-breasted Sandpipers.
Red-eyed Vireo by Joe Pender
However, it was still scarce migrants from the east that
dominated and Wrynecks and Red-breasted Flycatchers continued to
arrive, along with the first multiple arrival of Bluethroats, however, these were just the supporting cast for
Britain’s third ever Masked Shrike
that was found at Spurn, East Yorkshire on 20 September, overshadowing the Pechora Pipit on Mainland Shetland and
the Lanceolated Warbler on Fair
Isle.
Common migrants continued to arrive in force but as numbers
of Whinchats began to fall during
the week, Stonechats began to rise. Stonechat
migration tends to peak around a month later than Whinchat, so there are plenty
more of them to come yet. The first real movement of Linnets began mid-week joining
the increasing number of Siskins on
the move, and hirundines continued to pour out of the country but as is to be
expected, in lower numbers than the last couple of weeks.
BirdTrack reporting rates for Whinchat (top) and Stonechat (Bottom)
It is a sure sign that autumn is moving on apace when the
first Reed Bunting movement of the
autumn occurs, 50 grounded on Hengistbury Head, Dorset and 65 at Spurn on 23
September give a flavour of things to come. Alba Wagtail (Pied and White Wagtails are difficult to separate on fly-over views
so are often lumped as Alba’s) is also a late September migrant and records of
these picked-up this week too.
So, what does the weather promise this week? It is going to
be a game of two halves, at least until early next week, where there will be
westerly airflow in the north, strong at times, and very light south-easterly
airflow in the south. So from the Humber north, we might see a few more
American waders, and possibly the odd landbird – historically, late September
has turned up a few North American wood warblers. South of the Humber we can
probably expect a few more scarce migrants from the east, which might include Red-flanked Bluetail and the odd Bluethroat. Late September is also a
good time for the arrival of Short-eared
Owl and Great Grey Shrike.
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