Local Early Autumn Birding
As we get into Autumn my local patch, Marcle Ridge, Herefordshire, really starts coming into its own being well situated and with good habitat for both observing visible diurnal migration (vismig) as well as migrant birds which have dropped in during their migration. South-bound passage on the ridge starts in late July, often featuring typical early migrants such as Swift, Sand Martin and Tree Pipit, though usually in fairly low numbers. The conditions on the morning of the 13th of August were looking good for vismig with southerly winds and a little cloud - by 07:00 around 15 Tree Pipits had flown through. Then, around 07:15, Tree Pipits started streaming through in flocks of 5-8 birds, crossing the end of the ridge and by 08:30 I had counted a total of 110 Tree Pipits, the highest number ever recorded moving through an inland site anywhere in Britain! For context, usual numbers moving through Marcle Ridge at this time of year is around ...