January 2010 started off rather quietly and looked to be a year beginning like any other but all that changed as low pressure sitting over Scandinavia brought fronts from the Norweigan Sea on cold northerly winds beginning on 5th January. Heavy snow swept south throughout the whole of the country forcing many birds to move. Many counties saw temperatures as low as -8 and as a result the reservoirs began to freeze.

5th January 2010 surface Pressure chart showing the cold front that brought snow to the whole of the country. Crown Copyright 2010 Published by the Met Office.

The most notable species were thrushes with big numbers of Fieldfares, Redwings, Song Thrushes and Blackbirds feeding on any berry laden trees even in town gardens. Skylarks (along with small numbers of Woodlark) were also seen in their 1,000's.

The cold weather stayed with us until the 14th when warmer air off the atlantic finally came into the UK bringing a slight thaw. The following day temperatures were almost in double figures bringing rapid melting and assissted by rain overnight on 16th. It was quite a surprise to see on 16th and 17th a great deal of coastal migration as birds headed back north. Waders, wildfowl as well as Skylarks moved through in good numbers which markedly dropped off in the ensuing days. A good example in Weston were 1,000 Teal on 17th, 480 on 18th and 150 on 19th.

16th January 2010 surface pressure chart showing warmer weather fronts. Crown copyright 2010 published by the Met Office.

Much of the UK remains quiet now.

Three days of clear sky and no movements. Today the cloud came with just the threat of snow. The reality was hardly a sprinkling. More significant changes today with the most notable being 1,050 Woodpigeon and 23 Stock Dove flying west along the River Axe. This count was made in just half an hour. Clearly the cloud has caused the birds to move but it remains my biggest question in bird migration. Does the cloud drop them to visible height or are they moving at all in clear conditions. If they are, presumably movements are taking place overnight too. These Woodpigeons will be part of the british population that have come down from the north of England.

Snow hits the UK becoming widespread across the country by the 6th January. Today the snow has cleared leaving blue skies and temperatures as low as -17.7 degrees in one part of the country. I couldn't see any movement during the period of snowfall but following the clearout of cloud and drop in temperature it's been all go again. Berrow Dunes, Somerset saw 2,500 Lapwing, 100 Golden Plover, 370 Skylark, 350 Woodpigeon 3 Snipe and 100 Redwing. Christchurch Harbour yesterday recorded an impressive 3,000 Skylark, 42 Woodlark, 33,000 Fieldfare and 12,000 Redwing all heading east.

The first cold snap of the year began on 1st January with cold northerly winds clearing the cloud. Temperatures in the south-west have been -5 degrees today. The cold weather has forced many birds to move. Skylarks have been moving in the north-east of england plus the Netherlands and France had good counts heading south. Thrushes have also been turning up with many fields and hedgerows containing new fieldfares, redwings, blackbirds and song thrushes. Waders have been passing through. In 3/4 hour I saw 750 Dunlin flying down channel in the Severn Estuary on 2nd January along with 113 Woodpigeon. Wildfowl have also been cropping up with Cheddar Reservoir, somerset turning up new birds daily. Today Red-crested Pochard numbers have increased. Black-necked Grebes, a Slavonian Grebe and a Smew have all come in with the recent northerlies. Surprisingly Chew Valley Lake and Blagdon haven't mirrored these new arrivals so far, so these birds may have come from the east.
I read a report from a ringer who had ringed 80 different Robins in her garden in 2009. On new years day 2010 she ringed 4 new Robins so it seems there must be Robins passing through also. I have heard some making the same unusual high pitched alarm call which I imagine are made from continental migrants.

Since my last posting there have been significant weather changes. High pressure on 9th December over europe spread to the UK on 10th and as it moved towards Scandinavia a north-easterly airflow was created bringing cold weather to the UK. Snow and Ice hit the north and east causing a southerly movement of many birds. For me, lapwing, golden plover, woodpigeon and skylark were the main movers with a surprise Common Crane. In the Netherlands white-fronted geese, pink-footed geese, great crested grebes and skylarks were recorded moving south in their thousands. Wildfowl have been forced to move as stretches of water freeze. Bewick's Swans were on the move on 18th and 19th with Avon and Somerset recording small parties.

10 degrees, partly cloudy, 15mph SW wind, 994mB. Sea watching at Sand Point between 8:30 and 11:30 proved quite productive. Most movement as usual moving down channel. Big numbers of Dunlin included a single flock of 1,000 went down channel about a mile out. Further smaller flocks down up to 11:30. Gulls were trickling down the whole 3 hours. Biggest surprise was a flock of 35 Guillemot. With good numbers off Cornwall it would seem these birds may have been blown up from here. Full count: 40 Common Gull, 20 Herring Gull, 50 Black-headed Gull, 1 Cormorant, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 30 Kittiwake, 1 diver sp up channel, 1,200 Dunlin, 2 Great Skua, 12 Shelduck, 1 Greenfinch, 40 Teal, 35 Guillemot flying up channel.
Not much news from elsewhere yet but Lapwing and Bean Geese on the move in the Netherlands.

8 degrees, partly sunny, 12mph SSW wind, 998mB. Still a small amount of movement today and more typical for december. Total counts: 1 great northern diver up channel. Down channel were 60 black-headed gulls, 30 common gulls, 20 herring gulls, 1 lesser black-backed gull, 16 oystercatcher, 3 curlew, 120 starling. A trip to the Axe Estuary revealed changes in duck and wader numbers. Teal up to 275. 3 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Golden Plover were recent arrivals.
In Jersey, a good passage of Red-breasted Mergansers heading south totalling 134 where 19 Sandwich Terns were also seen heading south. In the Netherlands the only notable species on the move was Great Crested Grebe.

6 degrees, sunny with 20% cloud, 14mph WNW wind, 1000mB. Sea watching at Sand Point between 8:30 and 9:45 proved quite productive. The winds had increased to favourable sea watch condtions for only a couple of hours but already 20 kittiwakes were seen to fly up channel. A great skua and 2 kittiwakes came down channel in that time. Non pelagic species past included: 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 25 common gulls, 30 herring gulls, 60 black-headed gulls. 12 shelduck, 170 dunlin, 5 lesser black-backed gulls and a curlew.