migration

There are increasing signs that the return migration is well under way now. Of the 42 species which I recorded yesterday, about a quarter fell into the category of birds which are probably just passing through.

The most obvious ones are: wheatears which have just appeared in the stubble fields. I saw about a dozen. Whinchat--just one yesterday, with some wheatears. Yellow wagtails, pied and spotted flycatchers, common redstarts and willow warblers.

Other species such as the hoopoe which was in my garden yesterday and the chiffchaffs, black redstarts, turtle doves and swallows of course breed around here but most of the individuals which we now see are likely to be ones which bred further north ans are on their way south.

Also of not yesterday were two firecrests and a serin near the Son-Sonnette. The first that I have seen for a while.