10th-17th October

It’s been a pretty lively week migration wise with birds turning up from all points of the compass, including the predicted Common Nighthawk from North America. One was found in Antrim and continued to show well until at least the 10th October. Birds from the east also arrived with a second wave of Yellow-browed Warbler very much in evidence and at least seven Red-flanked Bluetails being found from Shetland to Cleveland.

Common migrants flooded in and there were some impressive thrush movements. Observers at Spurn, East Yorkshire enjoyed watching 1,200 Redwing, 1,100 Song Thrush and 15 Ring Ouzel arrive on 6 October, along with at least 28 Yellow-browed Warblers.

Finches also began to arrive with the first real movement of Brambling and Siskin of the autumn.

BirdTrack reporting rate graph showing Siskins beginning to move

Species Focus

Breeding Siskins are found through most of Scotland and Wales and much of northern and southwest England, with the highest densities in landscapes dominated by conifer plantations. In Ireland they are more widespread in the west of the country. In winter, Siskins are even more widespread, being found in 83% of all 10km squares, with British and Irish breeders joined by continental immigrants. Siskin has seen its population increase by 44% between 1995-2016. At this time of the year when birds are on the move, Siskins can be found almost anywhere and will take advantage seed in gardens. Now is a great time to catch up with these acrobatic little finches.

Siskin by Edmund Fellowes

Weather for the week ahead

The weather for the week ahead doesn’t look too inspiring as most of the country looks like it will be locked in westerly airflow, and not all the way from the eastern seaboard of North America. It is a different story for the northern isles that will have a mix of northerlies at the beginning of the period and easterlies later in the period. If this forecast comes to fruition the northern isles could well be the place to be during this next seven day period.

Migration is in full swing and it will be during lulls in the wind that birds will move, given the chance. Siskin numbers should begin to build even if birds can’t make it across the North Sea. At this time of the year birds that breed further north in Britain should begin to make their way south. Redwings too will filter south, with the same story for Skylark and Reed Buntings, and during lighter winds some birds will make it across the North Sea, Starlings and thrushes are pretty strong fliers.

Grey Phalarope by Neil Calbrade

During storms and squalls along the west coast it is worth looking out for Grey Phlaropes and Sabine’s Gulls, October can be a good month for both of these. As for rare and scarce birds, there may well be one or two North American birds still to be found off the back of last week’s weather, Grey-cheeked and Swainson’s Thrush are favourite, but we should see one or two new birds in the northern isles – Siberian Rubythroat has become a little more regular in recent years but still remains a rare bird here, but with a short window of easterlies it may well be on the cards. Northerly winds in the isles should also bring the first big push of Glaucous Gulls, and maybe a few Little Auks too.

Paul Stancliffe and Scott Mayson