Woodland irruptives 2014 (1 Viewer)

My local patch is similar to many of the rarity islands in that some species that for most people are common are rare here. This means it is easy to spot movements of species that don't normally move that much.

Most years we see a movement of some woodland species traditionally viewed as residents. 2013 saw a big movement of Great Spotted Woodpecker, this year there have been very few. In fact there have generally speaking been few irruptives.

The exceptions have been Jays - 2014 has been a very good year for seeing this species on the move. Even rarer the first ever well documentedMarsh Tits on the group of islands on which I live have turned up. Along the coast of southern Norway I see that these two species have turned up in numbers and places that are way above normal.


It has also been an above average year for Nuthatch.

Anyone birding islands or coastal areas where these species don't normally turn up should keep their eyes peeled....

Jays been moving here too after an acorn crop failure on Quercus robur and Q. petraea. Nothing evident with Nuthatches or Marsh Tits though.

Any sign of Waxwings moving in Scandinavia this autumn? What are Rowan berry crops like this year with you?

Julian Bell said:

The exceptions have been Jays - 2014 has been a very good year for seeing this species on the move. Even rarer the first ever well documented Marsh Tits on the group of islands on which I live have turned up. Along the coast of southern Norway I see that these two species have turned up in numbers and places that are way above normal.


It has also been an above average year for Nuthatch.

Click to expand...

Surely there's a few typos in there and you meant Siberian Jay, Hawk Owl and Nutcrackers ??


Guess folk on the northern isles of the uk wouldn't mind the three you mention though.

It was, among others, the northern isles I was aiming at with this post.

I've never known Sibe Jay to irrupt, the other two definitely do from time to time - not that I've seen any evidence of such this year.

Long-tailed tits (naturally the extremely photogenic scandivanian form) - not even annual on my local patch put in their first appearance today.

The attached histogram, taken from the Norwegian bird database, shows when Long-tailed tits are on the move.

Julian Bell said:

The attached histogram, taken from the Norwegian bird database, shows when Long-tailed tits are on the move.

Click to expand...

The ones that move in autumn, don't return in spring?

PS any news on what Waxwings might be doing this autumn?

Nuthatch, Jay and Marsh Tit - YES PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One record of Jay - 11th May 1967 North Ronaldsay and the other two have still to fall.

Better start revising Marsh/Willow Tit ID features - hate to lash that one up . . . .

Waxwings have been moving for a while - I saw some migrating birds back in October inland in the east of Norway. There are plenty of reports in Norway at the moment, though in my county (Hordland) most are from inland. I have yet to see any at the coast.

And Paul - I knew someone on one of the islands would "get" this!

The attached image shows the number of Waxwings reported thus far this autumn in Norway. Again, mostly in the east.....

Thanks! So could be some Waxwings coming here in maybe 2 or 3 weeks :t: