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Our islands, coasts, estuaries and wetlands are great
places to watch migrating birds during the autumn and winter months.
Autumn
is the time when birds are coming and going around our shores. 听 | | Flying
spectacle - migrating geese return. RSPB Images/Chris Gomersall. |
Watching the migrants
 If
you want to see some of nature's most amazing bird spectacles, look out for the
arrival of thousands of geese and wading birds during September and October.
Migration
involves the large scale seasonal movement of birds from one location to another,
sometimes involving a journey of thousands of miles. During the autumn
huge numbers of birds fly south, east and west around the British Isles, providing
sensational sights for bird watchers. Watch out for the return of Brent,
Barnacle and Pink-footed Geese as well as Bewick and Whooper Swans. From
September birds start arriving back from the Arctic and Iceland, whilst others
such as Swallows and House Martins begin their journey south, flying off to warmer
weather in Africa. Birds such as Gannets, Terns and Manx Shearwater are
also leaving their breeding grounds to head off for the winter. The routes
which birds follow on their journeys are often very well defined, with some species
preferring to stick close to coastal areas, only crossing seas at their shortest
point. Good places for migrating birds in autumn:
Isles
of Scilly, Lough
Foyle, North
Norfolk and Snettisham,
Lindisfarne,
Bardsey
Island, Strathbeg,
Caerlaverock.
Also worth a visit...  Montrose
Basin, Slimbridge
The Wash, Aberlady Bay (near Edinburgh), Mersehead RSPB Reserve (Dumfries), Vane
Farm RSPB Reserve (Kinross), Insh Marshes RSPB Reserve (Kingussie).
Tips
for watching migrating birds Islands
and coastal areas are excellent places to watch migratory birds - pick good vantage
points such as promontories and headlands.
The Isles of Scilly are brilliant for spotting rare birds from North America,
Europe or Asia which have been blown off-course by bad weather. Many
areas around Britain's coastline have bird observatories where you're guaranteed
a great bird watching experience. Estuaries
are also great locations for wildfowl and waders due to their complex ecosystems.
High tides in estuaries push wading birds
closer and closer towards the shoreline as they feed during the autumn, creating
a bird's eye view for nature watchers. Be careful
to check tide times when visiting estuaries and coastal areas. Take precautions
and wear sensible clothing. Wetlands are also
top spots for witnessing the return of thousands of birds particularly geese,
wading birds and wintering wildfowl. Visit
your local Wildlife and Wetlands Trust or RSPB nature reserve to watch some great
autumn spectacles including huge flocks of wading birds such as Knot visiting
for the winter. Some nature reserves run feeding
sessions including Slimbridge, Caerlaverock and other WWT sites. Choose
your time of day carefully - the best time to watch geese is first thing in the
morning and at dusk when the birds leave and subsequently return to their roosts.
Sea watching can be rewarding in late summer and early autumn look for
birds such as Gannets, Terns and Manx Shearwater leaving their breeding grounds.
Don't
forget to pack your binoculars or a scope and a bird identification guide. Keep
a record of birds arriving and departing for the winter. Send your bird sightings
to county recorders and local bird clubs. Patience
is a virtue when it comes to birding - if first you don't succeed, try again!
Successful
birding  The
key to successful birding in large coastal areas or island environments can be
communication.
Some keen birders use CB radios so they can tell each other
what it is about as quickly as possible! Thousands of birders have also
signed up to pager systems. Pagers enter the name of the bird and that information
will go to birders all over the UK - it's a great way to keep up to date with
bird movements. Don't forget to check information on birding websites and
online forums before you leave home - many run up to the minute message boards
where you can find out about recent sightings in a particular area. Once
you get hooked, there are many bird watching groups across the country, many of
which run events and organise trips to bird watching hot spots. Digiscoping
- using a telescope and a digital camera together - can help birders to capture
some brilliant close up bird images. Photo credits Images
courtesy and copyright of RSPB Images, Chris Gomersall and Andy Hay. | 
