Spring bird migration highlights - 1 April
Post categories: Springwatch
| 16:21 UK time, Friday, 1 April 2011
Spring migration waits for no one but it does wait for the wind. The latest migration report from Paul Stancliffe at shows how all the comings and goings of spring are affected by the weather. (Read Monday's update here.)
This week, Paul reports, the weather has fallen into a pattern. "Conditions during the early part of the week were better for the arrival of migrants than in the middle part of the week," he says. "The strong west/south-westerlies put the brakes on for anything trying to make a move."
But he has good news for anyone still to see their first swallow of the year: "The winds are due to weaken in strength and turn more southerly this weekend, providing ideal conditions for further arrivals. If you haven't already seen your first swallow, this weekend should be a safe bet." (You can keep up with the latest swallow sightings on the .)
By last week sand martins and had been spotted in north Scotland and both species have continued to arrive in force this week. (.) The favourable conditions earlier in the week enabled and to arrive across the south coast. And good news about two other African migrants: the first of the season was spotted in Devon on 28 March, and the first reed warbler the day after in Dorset.
The spring chorus welcomed back two songsters this week. The blackcap (or, to give it its rather lovely nickname, the northern nightingale) was in full song in many parts of the country, bang on cue. Meanwhile in Wales, the first was heard on 29 March.
The exotic continue to pop up in southern areas. Around a dozen were seen in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and southern Ireland. (If you don't know what the beautiful creatures look like have a look at in the Springwatch photo group.) The only other overshooting migrant this week was a male in Dungeness, Kent.
On the departure front, large numbers of have been seen on the east coast and the starlings are still being seen heading out to sea in numbers. The winter thrushes - and - have been doing the same but in much smaller numbers. Most of them move during the hours of darkness. Flocks of brent geese are also on their way out.
What have your spring migration highlights been so far? Let us know by commenting below.
Comment number 1.
At 3rd Apr 2011, laura_vinall wrote:I saw a group of wheatears last week in Aberystwyth and heard a cuckoo yesterday afternoon at Grogwynion near Llanafan- the first one I have ever heard!
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Comment number 2.
At 5th Apr 2011, Jules wrote:Last night i saw the first of the swallows in the meadow out the back of our house,there was about 150 of them. I keep a keen eye on any new migrants and they must have just arrived yesterday..
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Comment number 3.
At 5th Apr 2011, Tony Ashby wrote:Saw and heard chiff-chaff in my garden, Old Town, Bexhill (East Sussex)
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Comment number 4.
At 6th Apr 2011, Child of Herne wrote:Heard a Cuckoo this morning in Barton le Cley, Beds, one of three reported on birdclub website today, also saw Swallow , Wheatear and Willow Warbler. A passage Osprey also reported but not seen by me unfortunately.
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Comment number 5.
At 8th Apr 2011, natureDeirdre wrote:I haven't seen a hoopoe but I saw my first swallows - 5 in all - in south east Ireland yesterday 7 April
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Comment number 6.
At 9th Apr 2011, buglady wrote:my first swallow here in Constantine, Cornwall on 8th April, on our allotment.
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Comment number 7.
At 10th Apr 2011, Beeba wrote:Saw my first ever Blackcap today 10th April Aboyne Aberdeenshire Scotland
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Comment number 8.
At 12th Apr 2011, s hughes wrote:Hi all would like to say had a wonderful time watching a few blackcaps having a singing competition. Was great to see them. This was at Lavernock Point in south wales. Spring has definatley arrived!!!
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Comment number 9.
At 12th Apr 2011, LB wrote:Heard my first cuckoo at 5.30 a.m today 12 April 2011, in Arlesey, Beds. Wait for the sound every year, this year its a bit later than last year. Last year I heard it early April. Does hearing a cuckoo late mean a good summer??!! (lets hope)
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Comment number 10.
At 12th Apr 2011, b briggs wrote:I spotted 2 cookoos 9th April at Barford Meadows on the 6003 between Kettering and Corby in Northants. Today 12th both saw and heard cookoo.
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Comment number 11.
At 13th Apr 2011, thegrahams wrote:Hi
We saw our first swallows on Sunday 10th April - not sure if this is remarkable but seems a bit early to us. We saw them in West Surrey.
Also earlier in the morning saw a black cap in East Hamspshire.
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Comment number 12.
At 14th Apr 2011, chris9012 wrote:In Swansea, Swallow's arrived 4th of April, Blackcap's on the weekend 0f 9/10th April, Spotted Sedge Warbler and Whinchat today 14th April.
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