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First Spring Migrants? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Stoggler
- Start date
John Tindale
Well-known member
Wheatear has to be up there.
timwootton
Well-known member
Northern wheatear is usually one of the first mgrants I expect to see.
timwootton
Well-known member
Ha!
timwootton
Well-known member
Sand martin can be really early some years, too.
Stephen Fletcher
Yes, i did take the photo of the Eagle
Migrants are already on the move, we have already had Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Pallid Swift, Great Spotted Cuckoo and over 4000+ Black Tailed Godwits in one field alone, some with colour rings from Iceland, and some from Greenland.
nialltkeogh
Well-known member
Hiya,
I'd usually expect to see my first Wheatear sometime around the 17th March (Paddy's Day). For me, this heralds the start of true Spring, none of this 1st February malarky!!!
Would also expect to see my first Sand Martins & Sandwich Terns in the later half of March.
All the best,
Niall
I'd usually expect to see my first Wheatear sometime around the 17th March (Paddy's Day). For me, this heralds the start of true Spring, none of this 1st February malarky!!!
Would also expect to see my first Sand Martins & Sandwich Terns in the later half of March.
All the best,
Niall
Cheshire Birder
Well-known member
Wheatear, Sand Martin, Sandwich Tern, Ring Ousel, Garganey, Osprey are traditionally amongst the earliest arrivals. That said a Whimbrel was reported in Devon today!!
CB
dantheman
Bah humbug
Overwintering most likely ... I saw 2 down here in Cornwall back in the new year ... bit of a surprise to be honest!! Looking into it, apparently c. 20 recorded in the south west uk and ireland annually, so not quite so rare. I'd imagine the same would be the case for the Chiffchaffs seen/heard singing in March - if not uk winterers, near continent ones, rather than from sub-saharan Africa??
DaveN
Derwent Valley Birder
I reckon that Chiff Chaffs singing in march will most likely be over-wintering birds too. Sand Martins for me are the earliest, although there were Swallows at a local reservoir early last year or the year before on March 15th. Also a Wheatear on my local patch last year on March 16th. Heard a Chaffinch singing today.
rokermartin
Well-known member
LR Plovers are early migrants as well.
Cheshire Birder
Well-known member
Possibly but I checked the RBA records for the SW and none had been reported recently. They do occur as one of the earlier migrants.
Forgot about them. Carn't wait for them to get back!!
CB
dantheman
Bah humbug
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=160259 (Post#6)
There's also been at least another elsewhere in Cornwall, and the one in Devon.
Can't find the link I read about originally, but googling 'overwintering whimbrel' comes up with various records ... and I don't think they're normally a regular march migrant for example ... anyway ...
rokermartin
Well-known member
Peak time for Whimbrel is April and early May they are very scarce in March.
Cheshire Birder
Well-known member
Peak passage is later as you say but the first birds up here appear irregularly before the end of March. Certainly not regular but not unheard of either. The counties along the south coast do regularly get the first records in March.
CB
rokermartin
Well-known member
Most of the Whimbrel pass through my area Co.Durham,Northumberland April to early May.We very rarely see Whimbrels in March i think we have only 3 records for March.
