The perfect storm

Having been stuck in a westerly airflow for what has seemed like forever, the weather forecast, with the promise of a depression swinging south of the UK and heading north into Scandinavia looked too good to be true. The resultant easterly winds, coming straight out of Scandinavia and western Russia, just had to bring some eastern birds with them.

Birders were not to be disappointed. In fact the storm headed north earlier than was predicted and crossed right over Britain and Ireland, initially producing strong westerlies that turned into strong easterlies as it moved on north and west, as predicted eastern birds seemed to drop out of the sky. Weighing around 6g, over 100 diminutive Yellow-browed Warblers were found from Shetland to the Isles of Scilly. Yellow-browed Warbler breeds no closer to Britain than eastern Russia, with the majority breeding much further east. Rather than heading west into Europe these birds should have been making their way south and east into south and eastern Asia.  Joining these were one or two other eastern delights, up to four Lanceolated Warblers that should have been on their way to a similar area, and a couple of Booted Warblers that winter in India were two. However, pride of place must go the White’s Thrush that was found on the Farne Islands, this amazing thrush winters in China. As the storm tracked towards Scandinavia it also brought birds from there too. Around 100 Red-breasted Flycatchers and over fifty Barred Warblers graced our shores over the weekend.

Yellow-browed Warbler by Joe Graham

The westerly theme of the last few weeks was not to be left out completely. As the storm left American shores and crossed the Atlantic it brought with it Britain’s second ever Magnolia Warbler, and a Swainson’s Thrush, both to Shetland.

Common migrants also abounded with the largest fall of Goldcrests, Redstarts and Robins of the autumn so far. The BirdTrack weekly reporting rate for Redstart shows this nicely. Thrushes were also on the move with the first noticeable arrival of Redwings, Fieldfares and Song Thrushes. As more birds arrive and more people take part in the Winter Thrushes Survey, it will be interesting to see how they move through the country.

Redstart by Edmund Fellowes

So what will this weekend bring? The focus will once again turn to the west and north-west, where the next transatlantic storm will arrive, maybe bringing with it more goodies from North America. A Black-billed Cuckoo is long-overdue and would prompt many a birder to head west.

Look to the east this weekend

With the UK seemingly stuck in a westerly airflow it is not surprising that the focus has very much been on birds from that direction. Over the last week there have been impressive numbers of transatlantic waders found on this side of the pond. Up to 16 American Golden Plovers, 75 Pectoral Sandpipers and at least 30 Buff-breasted Sandpipers provided the backdrop to the two juvenile Short-billed Dowitchers, still present from last week, and a scattering of Baird’s, White-rumped, Semi-palmated and Spotted Sandpipers.

Spotted Sandpiper by Peter M Wilson

With the strong westerly winds, movements of common migrants have been patchy with most coastal watchpoints experiencing some very quiet days. However, during periods of relatively calm winds hirundines made their move. On the 19th, an estimated 3,000 House Martins, 2,300 Swallows and 210 Sand Martins were in the skies over Christchurch Harbour. Slightly smaller numbers of the same species were counted at Spurn Point, East Yorkshire on the same day. Meadow Pipits have also begun to move with similar numbers reported from several sites along the east and south coasts.

With the promise of easterly winds for the latter part of this weekend, the focus ought to be on birds from that direction. With a Blyth’s Reed Warbler arriving on Orkney and an Arctic Warbler on Fair Isle this morning, things look good for migration watchers along the east coast.

Blyth's Reed Warbler by Andy Mason

As the wind turns, more easterly showers are forecast to move through during Saturday so ‘vis migging’ (observing visible migration) should be the order of the day. Meadow Pipits and Siskins should begin to move overhead in good numbers, accompanied by smaller numbers of redpolls and Goldfinches, along with a possible large movement of Swallows and House Martins. Showers overnight Saturday and early on Sunday morning could also ‘ground’ good numbers of other migrants that ought to include Whinchats and Stonechats. It will be worth checking out the latter for Siberian Stonechat.  An intriguing report from the bird observatory at Falsterbo, Sweden, tells of a very early movement of Nutcrackers through the site. We can dream!

Nutcracker by Stephen Menzie

We could also see the first noticeable arrival of Goldcrests to the east coast, and, if Goldcrests turn up then the first Yellow-browed Warbler of the Autumn is always a possibility. At this time of year a ‘fall’ of migrants is likely to contain a wide variety of birds that will include flycatchers, warblers and a few early moving thrushes. The first few Redwings were reported to BirdTrack earlier this week.

 So if you’re anywhere near the east and south coasts this weekend, particularly on Sunday morning, get out and enjoy what could be one of the busiest days of the autumn so far.

Autumn migration steaming ahead

Autumn migration is well under way and many summer migrants are now on the move. The main thrust this week has largely involved hirundines, with decent movements being observed of Sand Martin, House Martin and Swallow, particularly through the Pennines and along the east coast. Passerines have been thin on the ground at coastal observatories though,  with the exception of Chiffchaff and Blackcap, and to a lesser extent Wheatear, probably as a consequence of the strong westerly and north westerly winds we have been experiencing. The BirdTrack reporting rates for these species reflects this nicely. However, many species have been notable by their absence at coastal watchpoints.

Blackcap by Tommy Holden

This strong westerly airflow has brought American birds with it though, the most notable being two Short-billed Dowitchers, the second and third ever to be seen in Britain! One was found in Dorset and the other on the Isles of Scilly, whilst Britain's third Semipalmated Plover was found on the Western Isles. These American waders have had a good supporting cast of at least fifteen Buff-breasted Sandpipers from eleven different counties, and a Monarch butterfly on Portland, Dorset.

Fieldfare by Tommy Holden

Winter visitors have also been on the move with the first push of Pink-footed Geese into the north and east, and a record movement of Teal off Spurn Point, East Yorkshire, where 2,600 were counted passing south on the 10th. The first Whooper Swans arrived at the Ouse Washes on the 11th and small numbers of Fieldfare have been seen in at least five east coast counties.

The first arrival of Redwing could happen any day now. In some winters almost three-quarters of a million Redwings and Fieldfares spend the winter months in the UK. Clearly Britain is important for wintering thrushes. This winter the BTO are hoping to find out how our winter thrushes use the British countryside and are asking people that see these birds to report their sighting through the Winter Thrush Survey.

Red-eyed Vireo by Joe Pender

With the wind stubbornly set in the west what can we expect over the next few days? Well, more of the same, really! Northwestern Britain might be the place to be as the winds crossing the Atlantic will be at their strongest here, but the whole of the UK will be in this westerly airflow. With conditions like this a North American wader could turn up almost anywhere.  What might prove to be the vanguard over the next few days, the first American passerine of the autumn, a Red-eyed Vireo, was found on Unst, Shetland this morning.

With migration pretty much over (it never truly stops altogether) now is a good time to reflect on what kind of a migration season it has been.
The most obvious feature has been the weather. Migrant birds heading back to the UK from their winter in Africa and southern Europe have had to battle against some horrific conditions. Strong winds, heavy rain, hail and even snow have all featured and less than ideal conditions have dominated pretty much throughout the migration period.

So, what effect has this had on our summer visitors? The first and most obvious effect was to delay the arrival of a number of them, as evidenced by the BirdTrack reporting rates. Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat illustrate this well.

Initially it looked like the numbers of many of our summer migrants were going to be quite low this year, and indeed early evidence for Swallow, Swift and House Martin suggest that this might be the case. However, it is interesting to note that Portland Bird Observatory, Dorset have had one of their best springs for numbers of common migrants for many years. At Portland, Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat showed an increase of 138% and 137% above the 2007-11 average. The BirdTrack results also indicate that both of these species are at or near their normal levels.

It is too early to know for sure whether there are fewer birds here or not. We will have to wait until later in the year when all of the data that BTO volunteers collect through surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey, the Constant Effort Ringing Scheme, BirdTrack and the Nest Record Scheme has been analysed to know how out birds coped with a very abnormal spring and early summer.

Anyone can take part in these surveys and help contribute to the bigger picture. For more information, please visit the survey pages on the BTO website.

A far from normal spring

It has been anything but a normal spring. March, with its early spring Mediterranean overshoots, at times felt like May. April, with its heavy rain, snow and hail, resembled November, and so far May has felt very unspring-like.

Swallows and House Martins sheltering from the Rain

in Mevagissey, Cornwall, by David Jackson. May 2012

What effect has this had on our migrant birds?

March 2012 became the third warmest March on record, with temperatures often exceeding those in southern Europe.  As a consequence, early March saw higher than average arrivals, for the time of the year, of Wheatears and Swallows. As the month progressed and the temperatures held, it felt more and more like southern Europe and the arrival of over thirty Hoopoes, a couple of Purple Herons, Baillon’s Crake, Woodchat Shrike and Scops Owl only served to reinforce this.

Just as it seemed like spring migration was about to step up a gear the weather turned. April will be remembered as one of the wettest on record, overturning drought warnings in some counties to flood warnings. It wasn’t only in the UK that this weather pattern dominated, southern Europe suffered too.  On 16 April, the mid-morning temperature at Aiguamolls de L’Emporda, northern Spain, was 5 degrees, forcing migrating Swallows to seek shelter in the hides of the nature reserve.

Swallows at Aiguamolls de L'Emporda by Rod Leslie

Further south, gale force winds whipped up huge sandstorms over the northern Sahara and out into the southern Mediterranean Sea, forcing migrants into the water and providing a bonanza for feeding Lesser Black-backed Gulls. The March rush slowed down as rapidly as it had begun, and many of our migrants began to look like they were going to be late back this year. Whitethroats didn’t start to arrive in earnest until late April/early May, two to three weeks later than the norm.

BirdTrack results show that it was a similar pattern for several other species that normally arrive in mid-April, notably Hobby, Cuckoo, Turtle Dove and warblers including Grasshopper, Reed, Sedge and Garden Warblers. BirdTrack reporting rates for all these species are striking, as are those of both Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat.

Hobby by Jill Pakenham

So, here we are, mid-May and the weather is decidedly cool and wet. The winds are in the main coming from the north, and for the most part are quite strong. Even though most of our summer migrants are now represented, there are parts of the country in which many are still to arrive. When conditions allow, there are still some impressive movements of birds at coastal watchpoints, so migration is far from over yet and will almost certainly still have some surprises up its sleeve.

This coming weekend the northerly winds are due to turn more southerly, then south-easterly and eventually easterly. If this is the case, migration watchers on the east coast could be in for a bonanza, and as we are moving into the latter half of May, anything could turn up. I know that I’ll be out in search of a Red-footed Falcon or two.

Migration slows a little.

With the mass arrival of many of our common migrants last week, Whitethroats, Garden Warblers, Swifts and Swallows poured in, it is hardly surprising that this week has been a little slower. That said, migration has been steady, with more Swifts, Swallows and House Martins arriving, along with Spotted Flycatchers, Turtle Doves and the first Nightjars.

Nightjar by Neil Calbrade

It has been the rarities that have grabbed the headlines, with both Calandra and Crested Larks turning up, both in Kent. At least three Pallid Harriers graced the east coast and, what continues to be one of the best springs for a long time for Black-winged Stilt continued with the appearance of four birds together in Kent. Red-rumped Swallows reached double figures, with at least fourteen birds being found, from the Isles of Scilly to North Yorkshire.

Will it be a good weekend for migrants?


It looks like it is going to be a largely dry but windy weekend. The wind will come from the north and north west on Saturday, dropping during the afternoon, and turning south westerly overnight and through to Sunday morning, only to increase in strength again. So, it looks like Sunday morning might be the best time to be out watching visible migration, or in search of grounded migrants.It is hard to say what might turn up. The light northerlies of Saturday afternoon and evening might coax something like a Great Reed Warbler this far north.

The floodgates open

As soon as the wind turned south-easterly and dropped they began to arrive in their hundreds and thousands. Many sites had their largest falls of the spring so far and some hinted at their largest falls ever, but what was sure was that the migrant floodgates opened at last.

As the week progressed the wind turned northerly but for the most part remained light, perfect conditions to observe visible migration. At Portland Bill, Dorset over 10,000 Swallows were estimated to have flown through on the 3 May, whilst in previous days there were at times too many to count.

On the Isles of Scilly, flocks of warblers, largely Blackcaps and Willow Warblers but also containing Garden Warblers and Common Whitethroats, were seemingly everywhere. This is reflected nicely in the BirdTrack reporting rate.

Common Whitethroat by Amy Lewis

With Swifts and Spotted Flycatchers also making it back, the first Nightjar won’t be too far behind them. Two of the BTO satellite tagged Cuckoo’s also took advantage of the weather and arrived back in the UK after spending the winter in the Congo Rainforest, for more information and to see their full migration routes.

Cuckoo by Steve Ashton

Southern overshoots have also been well represented. Five new Cattle Egrets arrived, along with the first Squacco Heron of the year, five Black Kites, three Short-toed Larks and at least seven Red-rumped Swallows. Whilst from the east a Citrine Wagtail and Red-breasted Flycatcher were found in Norfolk, and a Black-winged Pratincole arrived in Cheshire.

The wind is due to stay in the north-east and remain fairly light throughout the weekend, turning southerly on Monday, perfect conditions for further arrivals of common migrants and vagrants from the south and east. So if you haven’t heard a Cuckoo this weekend could be the time to get out and listen, and if you do hear one you can support the BTO Cuckoo project by texting a donation to CKOO12 £2/£5/£10 to 70070, and  if you’re out looking for vagrants, a Rock Thrush might just be on the cards.