Finally! (1 Viewer)

Andy Adcock · Apr 28, 2017

Migrants are arriving in St Petersburg at last.

Our spring generally arrives much later than that in the UK and so do the birds. There are still no signs of buds on the trees never mind leaves.

Short-eared Owls, White Wagtail and Skylark are back as are Lapwing and a flock of Bewick's Swans passed over on the way North. Won't be too long before we can fall asleep listening to Thrush Nightingales.

A

Andy Adcock · Apr 28, 2017

Meadow Pipits today plus wader arrival, Greenshank, Redshank and displaying Common Snipe.

A

Jos Stratford · Apr 28, 2017

Here, 600 km south of you, migrants are trickling in steadily, but it is a much colder spring than usual and virtually everything is late so far, numbers of what should be common by now generally very thin on the ground. Would imagine stuff is going to be late up your way too.

Andy Adcock · Apr 28, 2017

Jos Stratford said:
Here, 600 km south of you, migrants are trickling in steadily, but it is a much colder spring than usual and virtually everything is late so far, numbers of what should be common by now generally very thin on the ground. Would imagine stuff is going to be late up your way too.

Found a Citrine Wagtail today, great record for us and a Russian tick.

A

Andy Adcock · May 1, 2017

Passerines usually desert us for the winter with the exception of a few hardy Great Tits so it's nice to see them trickling back.

A

Andy Adcock · May 9, 2017

First Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear and Bluethroat today but still no Pied Flycatchers which are now two weeks late here.

Days are cold and windy and night time temps are still sub zero, a very late spring indeed.

A

rosbifs · May 9, 2017

I keep a check on the following to get an idea of timings

www.migraction.net

I remember about 5 years ago we did Aigumolls (tons Nightingale, Cettis, Reed etc.etc.) on 30th April and all the 'LPO' birdwatchers from Gruissan were there as nothing had crossed the Pyrenees - weather. On the 1st May we went to Gruissan and it was true - very little was happening!

Very jealous of your Citrine...

Jos Stratford · May 9, 2017

andyadcock said:
First Yellow Wagtail, Wheatear and Bluethroat today but still no Pied Flycatchers which are now two weeks late here.

Days are cold and windy and night time temps are still sub zero, a very late spring indeed.

Loads of Pied Flycatchers here now, near full numbers for a week or so. First Thrush Nightingales, Wrynecks, etc too.

A few centimetres of snow here this afternoon though!!!

Andy Adcock · May 9, 2017

Loads of waders now with the first Wood Sands seen today and still Pink-feet going through in dribbles.

A|

Swannery Steve · May 9, 2017

Seeing that they winter in northwestern Europe and breed no further east than Svalbard, I'm really surprised to learn that Pink-feet migrate through St. Petersburg. I understood Norway was the main route for Svalbard birds. Could they be Tundra Beans you are seeing or am I misinformed?

Steve.

birdmeister · May 9, 2017

It is fascinating to see how bird migration is progressing in different parts of the world. Here in Pennsylvania we are in the thick of migration. I recorded 14 species of wood-warblers last Saturday and even more are in the state now. Add vireos, Catharus thrushes, tanagers, a few sparrows, orioles, grosbeaks, and buntings, and it gets pretty busy. Spring passerine migration is second only to fall raptor migration in my opinion.

Andy Adcock · May 9, 2017

Swannery Steve said:
Seeing that they winter in northwestern Europe and breed no further east than Svalbard, I'm really surprised to learn that Pink-feet migrate through St. Petersburg. I understood Norway was the main route for Svalbard birds. Could they be Tundra Beans you are seeing or am I misinformed?

Steve.

A very valid point and One I had considered on purely ID grounds without considering their origin and therefore route. Looking at the map, they have to be Bean Geese? Even if they were from mainland Europe, they wouldn't come this way.

We don't see many, we mainly get White-fronts, had a few Bewicks through the other day.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

Cheers

A

Jos Stratford · May 10, 2017

andyadcock said:
A very valid point and One I had considered on purely ID grounds without considering their origin and therefore route. Looking at the map, they have to be Bean Geese? Even if they were from mainland Europe, they wouldn't come this way.

I missed that in your earlier post - they will be Bean Geese, a common species on migration here in the Baltics and heaps passing over my land a month ago heading north-east ...directly towards you :t:

Andy Adcock · May 10, 2017

Jos Stratford said:
I missed that in your earlier post - they will be Bean Geese, a common species on migration here in the Baltics and heaps passing over my land a month ago heading north-east ...directly towards you :t:

Thanks for the confirmation

Presumably rossicus?

A

Jos Stratford · May 10, 2017

Occasionally a Pink-foot in large Bean Goose flocks here in Lithuania, but we are talking about one or two in flocks of many thousand Beans, usually on the coast and rarely more than a handful in any one year.

Andy Adcock · May 10, 2017

I hope our Pied Flycatchers aren't here at the moment, for their sake!

Last year, they abandoned eight eggs in our nest box and I suspect that weather was a factor in that. It was a very wet and chilly summer and I suspect that food was scarce?

Looks like summer may never arrive at the moment, it's horrendous.

A

Jos Stratford · May 10, 2017

andyadcock said:
I hope out Pied Flycatchers aren't here at the moment, for their sake!

Yesterday, there was several centimetres of snow here ... watched Pied Flycatcher and Common Redstart flycatching out from low branches of a shrub in the snow!

Andy Adcock · May 10, 2017

-5c overnight last night

A

Andy Adcock · May 12, 2017

Still no sign of any Pied Flycatchers and in fact their nest box has just been taken by a Great Tit much to the annoyance of my wife.

A

Jos Stratford · May 12, 2017

andyadcock said:
Still no sign of any Pied Flycatchers and in fact their nest box has just been taken by a Great Tit much to the annoyance of my wife.

A

Put another up, Pied Flys often like brand new boxes

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