The post of 7th March recorded an early fall of migrants and the conditions that created such gatherings. We had another one today, again with light easterlies, mists and light rain. The dominant species were Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, many feeding side-by-side, but there were plenty of other species. I managed to photograph most of the ones where I was except for a skulking Nightingale that eluded me! Here are the main species in today's fall:
Chiffchaff: still very plentiful. These birds are probably coming in from sub-Saharan Africa, where a good number spend the winter, and are probably bound for north-western Europe - Holland, Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Willow Warbler (above and below): These are all returning from tropical West Africa and are heading for western Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic
Common Whitethroat (above and below): one of the commoner species today. Incoming from tropical West Africa and heading for western Europe including the British Isles
Common Redstart (male above and heading this post and female below): Incoming from tropical West Africa and heading for north-western Europe as far as Finland
Subalpine Warbler (above and below): still coming through in good numbers and has been the subject of earlier posts
Woodchat Shrike (above and below): building up numbers (see yesterday's post)
The breeding Sardinian Warblers (above and below) and Blackcaps (far below) carried on with their domestic duties not too bothered by the sudden influx of strange neighbours!
The last of the Robins are also moving through, bound for north-western Europe, east to Poland and Switzerland
