Spring Migrants

[mark smyth]

Lots of swallows, sand martins and house martins have been seen in Ireland. An alpine swift was seen in County Clare.

Have you seen or heard any?

Sadly one of the BTO satellite tagged cuckoos has died

[Stephenb]

There were 4 sightings here in Norway, all in the south, of House Martins and Swallows, between 12th and 17th March, amazingly early, but surprisingly none in the last few days despite record temperatures in the south. Temperatures above 20C had never been recorded in Norway before this year, the record is now 23C - we're lucky if we get that in summer!

[John85]

The cukoos arrived four days ago.NO swallows here but"mine" are never the earliest.

[Armin]

Observed yesterday the first black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) of the season
A pair is breeding annual on top of a blank I've fixed under my house roof for this purpose.

No swallows, swifts or house martins yet.

[scatigaz]

First Swallow at my local reservoir on 22nd. Lots of Chiffchaffs singing.

[TC]

Northern Wheatears are arriving in dribs and drabs.  Some Willow Warblers have also arrived.  Last week we had thousands of geese and now they have gone except 13 Pale Bellied Brents which are still clinging on.  Today we saw about a dozen Greylag Geese heading North West over the Clyde Estuary.  Our Gannets arrived back 4 weeks ago and a Sandwich Tern was also seen.

[annew]

Chiffchaffs here too.

[mark smyth]

This winter many sandwich terns never left the County Down coast

[Stephenb]

One loan Chiffchaff has also reached us at 63.5N last weekend, the earliest recorded singing Chiffchaff ever!

All Scandinavian records so far in March in the figure:

[Hoy]

I did hear the cuckoo two days ago! It's the earliest ever I've heard it!

[angie]

Lots of swallows, sand martins and house martins have been seen in Ireland. An alpine swift was seen in County Clare.

Nothing here yet. I do hope they come back to my house. I so enjoyed watching their babies last year.

Angie 

[Stephenb]

I did hear the cuckoo two days ago! It's the earliest ever I've heard it!

That's not only your earliest, but possibly also the earliest ever in Norway (artsobservasjoner.no) - the earliest previous report is 6th April. You should report this!

[TC]

Sand Martins came through here about 3 weeks ago - they are usually the first migrants along with Wheatears.  It's difficult to say when the first migrant Chiffchaffs arrive as they now overwinter in Dumfries and Galloway.  We had the peculiar situation in January of watching Snow Buntings on the beach while a Chiffchaff was singing in the car park 100 yards away.
In our area it is not so much the arrival of Spring migrants but the departure of our Winter migrants.  Last week we still had about 10,000 various geese in the vicinity, along with large Wigeon flocks.  They have all but disappeared.  With the unseasonal warm weather, migrants have been overshooting their normal breeding areas and keeping on North.  An Alpine Swift was reported from the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides.