General (County) update - 9th October 2010

• Two days ago I heard our first winter thrushes fly over at night. These will be redwing (followed by fieldfare) and I don't think I've ever heard them so early in the Autumn before.
• They tend to migrate at night (for safety) and once you learn to recognise their contact call in the dark skies above (you'll not see them of course), you'll hear them all over the place at night.
• It is slightly strange that on the 6th October, a birdwatcher from not so far away in Berkshire, reported seeing 5 redwing on the ground at a site in the county, with 100 or so swallows migrating south overhead. I guess this is more common than I thought, but I for one have never seen our summer swallows and winter thrushes on the same day here in Berkshire.
• Generally, redwing are reported from late October onwards here - as it stands only two people have reported these visiting thrushes in the county so far - and I assume I'm the only one who knows what they sound like in the night sky. One thing's for sure -they are arriving in droves now - you'll see them soon!