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There are three main flyways. Those that have spent the summer months in eastern Siberia will be making their way to south-east Asia, including Thailand and Malaysia. For some this journey will take them even further south to Australia.

North America's migratory birds will be flying to their winter quarters in Central and South America, while migrants in northern Europe will be heading for warmer climes in Africa.

Traditionally September is when all these movements begin, slowly at first but gathering pace as the month progresses.

This year the slow start wasn't much in evidence as summer bowed out with a stormy bang on the August Bank Holiday weekend. This resulted in an incredible arrival of birds in the UK.

, a bird which breeds on the tundra of northern Scandinavia and further east, arrived en-masse. They normally begin to arrive in late September. In the northern isles, 142 were seen on in Shetland. An island record for this species. At the other end of the UK, five made it to the Isles of Scilly and flocks were reported on the Outer Hebrides and in Ireland, where one BirdTrack contributor captured this excellent image.

Lapland Bunting, Bridges of Ross, Clare, Ireland 29 August 2010 © Jeff Copner

Common migrants were in evidence too. Swallows began to move out in force and willow warblers, , and all featured at migration watchpoints, with a few even turning up inland.

Offshore, ran the gauntlet of piratical skuas as they too began the long journey south to seas off south-west Africa and beyond. Over 3,000 common terns were logged passing Spurn Bird Observatory.

To add some rarity interest over 30 from northern and eastern Europe were found. There was a similar showing for wryneck, with birds being seen mainly on the east coast from Yorkshire to Kent. A handful of arrived too, a species that regularly breeds no nearer than north-east Europe and south-east Scandinavia. Nick was lucky enough to find one of these attractive warblers giving subsong on the north Norfolk coast. More about subsong right here later in the month.

Greenish Warbler, Blakeney Point, Norfolk © Steve Gantlett

With the easterly airflow forecast to continue into this weekend and cloud building up on Saturday, we should see more of the same. Swallows, and terns are expected to be moving in slightly higher numbers than last weekend and red-backed shrikes should begin to turn up. Throw in the odd eastern rarity and Saturday could be the day to be out and about.

All of this, and we're only just at the start of this awe-inspiring spectacle of nature. Don't miss out, get out and about and help track migration by submitting your observations to .