What should we be looking for at this time of year? (1 Viewer)

[matt green]

Seeing as there is a good amount of autumn migrants moving in at the moment I thought I'd start a thread for the more experianced birders to suggest which bird species we should be looking out for and where to look
(not specific locations) for them in various habitats and locations throughout the UK within a typical year.

Also feel free to post up suggestions for other wildlife such as mammals, wildflowers and insects etc during the relevant periods.

Who's going to start?

Matt

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Redwings and Fieldfares are coming in spades now. Check those flocks for Ring Ousels or maybe something more exciting...

 

[socksitis]

Ring Ouzels, proving a wee bit elusive for me, will check those flocks though, ever hopeful. Are the ring ouzels more than likely to be out near the coast now or do I still have a chance on Dartmoor of seeing something?

 

[Farnboro John]

Ring Ouzels, proving a wee bit elusive for me, will check those flocks though, ever hopeful. Are the ring ouzels more than likely to be out near the coast now or do I still have a chance on Dartmoor of seeing something?

Get up early and watch visible migration on your own patch. Flocks of thrushes are often low enough to pick out odd birds such as Ring Ousels tagged onto big flocks of Redwings or Fieldfares.

Its a good way to listen to lots of calls as well. Eventually you will be sorting out pipits as they go over as well as various finches.

John

 

[Peter 255]

Winter ducks, like smew, goldeneye and goosander will be coming soon.

 

[peter hill]

bramblings amongst the chaffinch flocks :t:

 

[RobF]

Loads of crossbill and siskin around here at the moment.

Rob

 

[scary-canary]

check your egrets for cattle egret and might be worth checking your meadow pipits too!

 

[Birdbox]

Cattle Egrets stick out from mipits like sore thumbs!

 

[matthall]

you just can't get mipits and cattle egrests mixed up !