Effect of weather on birdwatching (1 Viewer)

I am new to birdwatching and I wonder if the weather conditions effect the success of a trip to my local site in Warwickshire.In other words is it better if it is sunny ,wet ,windy,cold,hot etc or does the weather have no effect at all.

Depends. A lot of effect on shorebirds, ducks etc. Lesss in woods. But there are definitely times when birds seek shelter from wind and cold.

Hello Senatore! Welcome to the wonderful world of birding. I to live inland, Derbyshire, yes, weather can make a huge difference. I have noticed that when birding inland, the weather affects the following.

In Winter, the colder it is, the higher the chance of more ducks and gulls arriving inalnd, or showing better than usual, northerly winds could produce rarer arctic gulls (Glaucous or Iceland) or even a diver or grebe.

In Spring, a southerly wind could bring across summer migrants, especially after rain, as the birds tend to drop down during a storm (especially waders inland, between March and May).

The Summer is good during sunnier spells so you can look for singing birds.

In Autumn the heavier the winds and storms the better it could prove for birding, this can drop down waders (especially late summer/early autumn after a northerly or north easterly) or later on the odd passerine migrant.

All in all, just go out and enjoy whats in front of you, going out in the rain tends to dampen the spirits!

All the best

Depends from bird, site and season!

Strong wind, cold = crap. Wind is only good for seawatching and "falls" of rarities on coastal places. However, time when the bad weather stops sometimes is great for birding - all these hungry birds begin to move, feed and show themselves.

Raptors - sunny day, and especially midmorning. When hot air thermals form in mid-morning, the raptor react as passsengers for the first train. Strangely, hot, good mid-day is bad for soaring birds. Maybe they rise so high that you can miss them?

Good weather is generally the best!

Thanks to you all for your responses.

I went out to my local patch today when it was quite misty. It was definitely a subdued day. Not a lot of activity, and although I saw quite a few birds it all seemed so dreary. Much better though than when I went on a windy day last month and saw virtually nothing.


Rob

I have woodland on my local patch and I have to say that windy weather can really spoil a day for watching birds - and hedgerow birds are also much more difficult to locate.

However, 'A change in the weather, a change in the birds' seems to be a good maxim at any time other than the breeding season.