I’m going to take on my alter ego of "Mystic Mark" this morning, get my crystal ball out and boldly suggest that if you have the chance, head to the east coast for some birding as soon as you can this week. I caught the end of the weather forecast last night and I sat up when I saw the wind arrows pointing to the left. This meant the wind has switched to the east and in prime rare bird season of late September, this brings the promise of exciting eastern arrivals.
Long-eared owls are starting to arrive from Scandinavia now. I was lucky enough to see this one in the hand on Fair Isle when the wind blew from the east (Mark Ward)
We are in the best time of the year for rare and scarce birds now so they could not have come at a better time. I’m going to stick my neck out and say by the end of the week, we’ll have seen an impressive roll call of Siberian scarcities. A lot depends how far from the east the winds are originating, but we’ll certainly be picking up scarce birds leaving Scandinavia that get drifted this way by the wind.
Dull and drizzly – lovely weather for rare birdsLooking out of my window here at RSPB HQ as I'm working on the latest Nature's Home magazine, it is murky, drizzling and there is a very light east wind blowing – perfect conditions for an arrival of migrants. The birds will have set off from Scandinavia and points east in fine conditions and the east wind will help to drift them this way. Suddenly encountering this band of murk and drizzle will force them to make landfall down the east coast.
Shetland is a huge draw for rare birds and the lack of cover on Fair Isle makes them easier to find! (Mark Ward)
What's coming?So what to expect? I reckon we’ll see a good few wrynecks (keep an eye on your lawn and patio because they love to eat ants living in the cracks) and a good range of rare warblers and I think we'll be receiving some exciting news from down the east coast and up to Shetland.
Wrynecks should be touching down from Scandinavia this week (Mike Langman rspb-images.com)
It’s not just about rarities though and there will be plenty of commoner migrants too from redstarts and flycatchers to the increasing yellow-browed warbler which has already massed a good number of records this autumn, including several inland (even in London).
Scandinavian redstarts (rather then the ones that bred in the UK) arrive on east winds (Mike Langman rspb-images.com)Let us know what you seeSo am I jealous of those of you who are able to get out this week? Oh yes, but I’ll just have to live it vicariously through your sightings, so please let us know what you see. Go on you know you want to!
There are lots more wildlife-watching tips in Nature's Home magazine every quarter and it is free to every RSPB member. We're now bringing you the action month-by-month, so you'll never be short of ideas and advice to help you make the most of each season and find the best wildlife!