Autumn Bird Migration in the UK: A Season of Arrivals and Farewells
The Farewell Party: Birds Leaving the UK
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Summer wouldn’t be summer without the swooping silhouettes of swallows and house martins. They’ve raised their chicks under bridges, eaves, and in barns, and now, with insects in short supply, they’re off on an incredible journey all the way to Africa.
🕵️ Spotter’s Tip: Look up on bright September days. Swallows often gather in groups on telephone wires before leaving, chattering noisily as if saying their goodbyes.
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The swifts are even more impatient. By August, most are already gone, streaking south after a short breeding season. These remarkable birds spend almost their entire lives on the wing -eating, drinking, even sleeping as they fly.
🕵️ Spotter’s Tip: Swifts scream as they swoop through summer skies. If the skies have gone quiet, it’s a sure sign they’ve departed.
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Then there are the warblers - the chiffchaffs, willow warblers, and blackcaps that filled hedgerows with song. Many will move on to Spain, Portugal, or North Africa. Some blackcaps and chiffchaffs now stay behind, making the most of our gardens and feeders during milder winters, but most still chase the sun southwards.
🕵️ Spotter’s Tip: Warblers are trickier to see, but if you notice small, restless birds flitting about in trees and hedges in September, they may well be fattening up before their journey.
The Welcome Committee: Birds Arriving in the UK for Winter
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As some birds’ wave goodbye, others are flocking in. For them, our relatively mild climate and berry-laden hedgerows are a haven compared with the frozen north. Listen for the thin “tseep” calls overhead on chilly October evenings - that’s the sound of redwings, freshly in from Scandinavia. Their larger cousins, the fieldfares, arrive around the same time, gathering noisily in orchards and open fields.
🕵️ Spotter’s Tip: Redwings have a
creamy stripe above their eye and a rusty-red patch under the wing. Fieldfares are chunkier, with grey heads and spotted chests. Look for them feasting on berries or fallen apples. -
Look towards estuaries and wetlands and you’ll see the spectacle of wintering geese
and swans. Pink-footed geese arrive from Iceland in their thousands, their V-shaped skeins painting the skies. Whooper swans, their yellow bills shining in the low winter sun, also come from Iceland, joining our resident mute swans on lakes and marshes.🕵️ Spotter’s Tip: Head to reserves or open countryside at dusk. You might catch the breathtaking sight of geese returning to roost, filling the air with honking calls.
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And closer to home? Don’t be surprised if your garden seems busier with robins and
blackbirds. That cheeky robin singing through winter might not be the same one
you watched in spring - many of “our” robins head south, while Scandinavian
ones arrive here to take their place.🕵️ Spotter’s Tip: Winter robins are often bolder around feeders and patios. Listen for their melancholy, silvery song on quiet autumn afternoons - it’s different from the sprightly spring version.
Feeding Migrants: Giving a Helping Hand
Sunflower hearts and seeds - packed with calories, perfect for tits, finches, and sparrows.
Niger seed - irresistible to goldfinches and siskins, which may increase in number this season.
Suet and fat balls - high-energy snacks that keep birds warm and fuelled. Look for varieties with insects or berries mixed in.
Fruit - don’t clear away those windfall apples or pears; thrushes, starlings, and blackbirds will thank you.
Fresh water - as important as food. A simple bird bath or even a shallow dish refreshed daily can be a lifeline.
Little Things That Make a Big Difference
