The unseasonal passage of Leach’s Storm-petrels continued through the week, with the highest count of 190 coming from Merseyside. The run of inland records continued as well (check the distribution map here), including one in a BirdTrack recorder’s garden in Rotherham! An equally unusual sighting though was of a rather late Little Stint in Kent recently alongside a rather lost Long-billed Dowitcher at the same site.

Farmland birds really must benefit from this continued clement weather, and some quite large counts have come in recently of several species. One coastal site in Essex held 74 Stock Dove (being recorded much more frequently now on BirdTrack), 133 Skylark and 17 Twite, and other sightings included 40 Twite in Falkirk, 210 Skylark in Warrington and several reports of flocks of up to 40 Corn Bunting in different parts of the country.

Another species doing well nationally is the Buzzard, so why not have a look at the results for your region (from the regional results page here) and see how they're doing near you.

The gale-force westerlies that hit the country at the weekend brought havoc to coasts, and also drove large numbers of seabirds onto the coast. The main species involved was Leach’s Storm-petrel, with unprecedented numbers this late in the year. The largest counts around the country were of 102 in one hour past Inveran, Galway, 93 past Porthcawl, Glamorgan and 47 past Heysham, Lancs. Inland records included 36 heading up the River Severn in Gloucestershire and a dead bird found in a sheep field in Yorkshire.

Perhaps even more surprising was a count of 16 Wilson’s Petrels off the south coast of Cork on 3 December. At this time of year these birds should be breeding in the South Atlantic, though these could be non-breeding immature birds.

Other unusual seabirds reported included 40 Great Northern Divers in Co Louth (overshadowing 6 in Torbay), Iceland Gull in Swansea, Glaucous Gull in the Western Isles and 3 unseasonal Puffins in Northumberland.

An interesting bit of news came in from a recorder recently who is studying the prey items of urban Peregrines. Some of the more bizarre prey items identified have been Black-necked Grebe, Jack Snipe, Roseate Tern, Goldcrest (hardly a major meal!) and even Knot and Turnstone at inland sites!

As the general run of warm weather continues, it still seems like winter migration has yet to hit its peak. We are now receiving regular reports of all of the scarcer migrants though, but still in low numbers. Records of Great Northern Divers are now regular, mainly from the west of Scotland, Ireland and the southwest. Other equally pelagic species now being seen include several Smew and counts of up to 20 Long-tailed Duck.

Brent Geese are also here in good numbers, with peak counts of 136 Pale-bellied Brent in Co Down and 601 Dark-bellied Brent in Lincolnshire, with American Black Brant in Portsmouth, Kent and Norfolk. Interestingly numbers of Dark-bellied seem to be higher than normal whilst those of Pale-bellied are slightly lower.

It seems that the last week has seen increased numbers of some winter passerines, especially a build up of Shorelark and Snow Bunting. Small flocks are now regularly seen in Norfolk and Suffolk, and the Snow Bunting flocks also include some interesting colour-ringed birds. If you do see a flock of Snow Buntings close up, then it is worth trying to assign them to a race. Birds of the race nivalis from Russia have much more white on the wings, rump and tail, whereas bird of the race insulae from Iceland are much less contrasting.

Even though we're now well into November there are still a few summer migrants hanging on, including Swallow and House Martin still in Suffolk and Wheatear in Norfolk.

Following on from the excitement of the first British record of Long-billed Murrelet in Devon, another 'first' was also re-identified recently - a Black-eared Kite in Lincolnshire. This is actually the far eastern race of Black Kite, identified by its very spotted appearance and pale wing patches.

Early winter is a great time to see a few of the scarcer migrants, alongside a few real coastal specialities. Species such as Shorelark and Snow Bunting arrive in variable numbers from northern breeding areas, though the former have become much rarer in recent years. Flocks are often concentrated along the east coast, and recent reports of 3 Shorelark in Kent and 45 Snow Bunting in Norfolk were the top counts.

It is also worth looking through flocks of commoner species to find species such as Lapland Bunting and Water Pipit on wet marshes, and you may also find Jack Snipes as well. The latter are generally solitary, but several recorders have reported up to three together. Other winter species included several records of Smew and Red-necked Grebe offshore.

It’s still worth keeping an eye out for summer migrants as well, as we’re still receiving reports of Swallow and House Martin (in Suffolk), Redstart (in Dorset) and Wheatear and Lesser Whitethroat (in Norfolk). This Lesser Whitethroat was at the same site as one last weekend, and definitely looks like an eastern halimodendri race bird.

Regular recorders may have noticed a lot of changes to the site. We have updated many of the features and introduced more new ones. So, if you're not a regular user, then its an ideal time to register! To see what's involved, have a look at the quick set-up guide, or go straight to the registration page.

The birding highlight for many seawatchers this last week has been the impressive passage of Little Auks. These diminutive seabirds breed on north Atlantic islands and are occasionally pushed into the North Sea in big numbers. Peak counts recently came from northern sites, with 7,881 past the Farne Islands (Northumberland) and 3,100 past Whitburn (Tyne & Wear) on 2 November. With so many birds at sea, its perhaps not surprising to find a few inland birds, though the most bizarre was a bird caught on Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, later successfully released back onto the sea!

Other arrivals included, eventually, good numbers of Fieldfares, with several four-figure counts reported. Most of the big counts were, interestingly, in the north west, though a count 5,067 in Bedfordshire on 2 November (along with 2,649 Redwing) was the highest received.

The few remaining migrants included very late Willow Warblers in Pembrokeshire and Western Isles, Lesser Whitethroats (presumably of Continental origin) in Norfolk and Hampshire, and the last few Swallows in Lancashire, Norfolk and Kent.

Other interesting winter counts received included 275 Skylark in Kent, 66 Snipe at a site in North Yorkshire and 58 in Shropshire, although I admit to being most jealous of the 27 Great Northern Divers off North Uist (Western Isles).

Despite it really feeling like winter now, a few summer migrants are still hanging on, though even these must surely be heading south soon. At sea, three species of tern have been recorded, with a Common Tern as far north as Fife on 29 October. Swallows are perhaps most recorded, and singles were seen in Angus and Warrington, with four in Suffolk. There are still a few House Martins around as well, though Sand Martin and Swift (last recorded on 27 October) now appear long gone.

Other lingering summer migrants included Wheatear in Somerset and Oxfordshire, Yellow Wagtail in Kent, Reed Warbler in East Sussex and Willow Warbler in Denbighshire and Essex. Ring Ouzels do seem to have been rather scarce this autumn, but late counts of 6 in Herefordshire and 2 in Dorset were from typical locations.

We are still also waiting for the bulk of the Fieldfares to arrive, with most counts below 100. On 1 November though there did seem to be a bit of an arrival, including 500 birds in Warrington.

Update on Bald Ibis migration
As the winter progresses its interesting to catch up with the three satellite-tagged Bald Ibis from Syria. It was never really known where these birds wintered, but the tags have revealed a huge migration into Eritrea and on to Ethiopia where at least one of the birds is now. To keep track of these birds, click here.

Winter visitors are beginning to arrive in force. 40,000 Knot were counted on the Wash along with 1,000 Dunlin, 4,000 Oystercatchers and 2,000 Bar-tailed Godwits.
Winter wildfowl numbers are beginning to increase with Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Brent Goose and Wigeon all featuring strongly. Redwings are being reported in good numbers throughout the country, and more Fieldfares are appearing, but still in small numbers.

Summer migrants still feature strongly with 19 species being recorded. Some of these could be the last of the year, most notably the Spotted Flycatcher on 20 October on the Outer Hebrides, the Cuckoo seen on 21 October in Suffolk, also two Willow Warblers on this date in Cornwall and Scotland, and the Yellow Wagtail on 22 October in Lancashire. Swallows, House Martins, Wheatears and Sandwich Terns are all still being counted in double figures, but numbers should drop dramatically over the next week.

Arguably the most exotic report received this week was of a Monk Parakeet in London. A small colony of these birds has established itself in the Borehamwood area and numbers some 45 birds having survived in the wild since 1989. Ring-necked Parakeet was also recorded but the winter roost is still yet to be established.

Following Honey Buzzard migration
To keep up with the fascinating journeys of two satellite-tagged Honey Buzzards, visit the Highland Foundation for Wildlife site and see where they are now.

Reports of Redwings have increased dramatically during the last week, with birds being reported from all around the country. In contrast there are still very few reports of Fieldfares. BirdTrack results from 2003/4 show that Fieldfares started to arrive in numbers during the first week in October, hopefully we will start to see numbers of these thrushes rising over the next week.

Chiffchaffs have been conspicuous in their absence, with most of the reports received being of ones and twos. One member of the BirdTrack team spent a large part of last week on the North Norfolk coast, seeing 4 Yellow-browed Warblers, 2 Blackcaps and not a single Chiffchaff.

Numbers of Golden Plovers have increased, with one flock of 6,000 birds being seen in Lincolnshire. This winter the BTO is running its Winter Plover Survey, counting and recording the whereabouts of Golden Plovers and Lapwings across the UK.

A single Snow Bunting seen in Cornwall could herald this species’ move to more southerly counties, with all the records received so far this autumn being from Shetland and the Highlands of Scotland.

Autumn migration is well under way and winter visitors are at last beginning to arrive. We have begun to receive a few reports of Redwings, but are still awaiting the first big arrival. Now is a good time to listen out for their thin seeping calls as they fly over in the darkness.

Fieldfares are still few and far between, but if and when they do arrive there is a bumper crop of berries for them to stock up on, and it may be that when they do arrive they will stay on in this country for the winter, only time will tell.

We have received a few reports of Snow Buntings from Shetland and the Scottish Highlands but none from further south. Looking back at BirdTrack the next week should see these birds begin to move further south. Up to 11,000 birds winter around our shores.

Whooper Swans are arriving at various sites around the country and, if previous years are anything to go by, will peak in the next few weeks. It is estimated that between 5,000 to 6,000 Whooper Swans spend the winter in the UK.

It is always interesting to chat to recorders about their sightings, and it's odd how many coincidences crop up. Three recorders have contacted us recently to mention Woodlarks in unusual places or numbers. At one Sussex site, six birds were recorded flying up-valley in the morning with two returning down-valley in the afternoon. Just along the coast we also received records of three birds, and there has been a run of records of migrants at a site in Lincolnshire.

Woodlarks are a success story recently, with the population recovering after a severe decline. The small population breed in forest plantations or heathland, but migrants can be seen at any coastal site. They are most easily picked out by their very short tail and fluttery flight, almost bat-like in nature.

Interestingly, numbers of Skylark records are also increasing, and are presumably migrants drifting in from the Continent. Looking at the results from previous year though there are still more to come, with the peak migration in the next couple of weeks.

Also increasing in number now are records of Snipe, with the highest counts received of 74 in Staffordshire and 65 in Norfolk. Other interesting records submitted recently included 711 Barnacle Geese (East Lothian), 400 Gannet (past the Lincolnshire coast), 12 Little Ringed Plover (Northumberland) and a late Swift in Kent on 1 October.

Following Honey Buzzard migration
To keep up with the fascinating journeys of two satellite-tagged Honey Buzzards, visit the Highland Foundation for Wildlife site and see where they are now.

The end of September is a great time to be out and about, as winter migrants are really starting to come in now (with recent records of 12 Fieldfare and 3 Brambling in Lincolnshire and 3 Redwing in Norfolk). On the coasts, wildfowl are also building up in number, with peak counts sent in of 773 Wigeon (Lincolnshire), 600 Brent Geese (Southend) and 1726 Pink-footed Geese (Aberdeenshire). The arrival of Pink-feet appears to be later than normal though (see the results here), and so far only 500 have filtered down into Norfolk.

Whilst these birds arrive, many of our summer migrants are now passing through in good numbers. On the wader front, good counts came if of 30 Curlew Sandpiper (East Yorkshire), 75 Snipe (Norfolk)and 13 Little Stint (Kent), along with a scattering of Temminck’s Stints and Wood Sandpipers.

Passage of hirundines (the collective term for swallows and martins) can also be impressive at this time of year, though a count of 15000 House Martins and 45000 Swallows heading west over Reculver, Kent in just three hours must have been an awesome sight! Elsewhere, other large Swallow counts included 1000 in Lincolnshire, 1200 in Dorset and 2000 in Cumbria.

As we go into October, the chances of finding something unusual increase, but the finders of a Blue-eared Glossy Starling in Suffolk and a Sacred Ibis in Surrey must have been a bit surprised! Less exotic, but still of note, were 12 Spotted Flycatchers in Cornwall and late Turtle Doves in Cornwall, Suffolk and six in Hertfordshire.

Migration over the pond
For extra migration interest, have a look here at one way in which Americans monitor migration. This site shows recent radar sequences of active migration off the southern tip of Florida and out into the Florida Keys.

A high pressure system to the north of us late last week produced a promising easterly airflow for east coast recorders. There were perfect conditions for drift migration and passage was at its best on Saturday, with many sites recording impressive counts of some species. Interesting counts from the Bird Observatories included 9,800 Meadow Pipits heading south over Spurn (East Yorkshire) and 4 Honey Buzzards over Gibraltar Point (Lincs), whilst further west Portland recorded 150 Yellow Wagtails, 75 Wheatear and 30 Spotted Flycatcher.

More evenly spread and in smaller numbers were also Redstarts, Pied Flycatchers, Tree Pipits and Whinchats. With the winds predicted to swing round to come from the southeast in the coming days, maybe this focus will shift a bit further along the south coast.

Personally, my autumn was made on Sunday on seeing a Spotted Flycatcher sat right next to a Wheatear on the side of a bramble, with a Tree Pipit hiding away in the middle of the bush and a Whinchat sat up on top. All viewable in one binocular view!

Despite apparently being in a mini heat wave, most migrants have continued to depart. Swifts are all but gone now, with very few daily reports coming in now. The last few so far this week have come from Derbyshire (3 birds) and singles in Gloucestershire, Greater London and Devon. Other good migrant counts included 90 Yellow Wagtails in Essex and 11 White Wagtails in Kent.

In their place, Brent Geese are now arriving. A typical arrival on the 7th involved Dark-bellied Brent from Arctic Russia in Lincolnshire and Pale-bellied Brent from Arctic Canada in Dublin.

Closer to home, we recently received the large count of 350 Ring-necked Parakeets in London.

Results pages update
To make it easier see trends for some less commonly recorded species, we’ve now started using different scales for graphics on the results pages. To see the difference, compare the graphics for the proportion of visits where the following were seen: Swallow; House Martin; Sand Martin.

It’s surprising what you can bump into in your garden or on the road and BirdTrack recorders were lucky enough recently to find two very different, but equally interesting, birds. An unobtrusive Wryneck in a West Midlands garden was a nice find, and slightly more obvious was a White Stork sat on top of the services on the A1 at Blyth!

Elsewhere, it seems like flocks of Lapwing are starting to really build up now, and these birds are being joined by more and more Golden Plovers. These Golden Plovers are moving in from various breeding areas, and if you’re in Ireland or western Britain you’ll be seeing birds from Iceland, but if you’re anywhere else you’ll be seeing birds of British or Scandinavian origin. Peak counts reported recently are 1,500 Golden Plover (Cumbria) and 3,500 Lapwing (Kent), and any records submitted by you will contribute to a new survey this winter (for more info click here).

Other wader arrivals recently have included some scarce vagrants such as Buff-breasted Sandpiper (several in Ireland and singles in Western Isles and Cornwall) and a scattering of Pectoral Sandpipers around the country. These birds will be from North America or even the very far east of Russia.

This last week has again seen a good arrival of migrants, and again this was focused in the far north and northeast. Fair Isle Bird Observatory has really had the cream of the crop over the last few days, with peak counts of 6 Common Rosefinch, 6 Barred Warbler, 5 Wryneck, 2 Marsh Warbler, 2 Red-backed Shrike and single Melodious Warbler and Greenish Warbler as icing on the cake. Further south, a sprinkling of the above were reported, but nothing quite so spectacular.

A lot of the commoner summer migrants are still being recorded in good numbers, with good counts of 900 Common Tern (Merseyside), 145 Sandwich Tern (Ceredigion), 1000 Sand Martin (South Yorkshire) and 7 Turtle Dove (Kent). New arrivals and passage migrants during the week included 7 Curlew Sandpiper (Norfolk), 12 Fieldfare (Suffolk) and 6 Black Redstart (Kent). As expected at this time of year pipits are on the move as well, with regular counts of up to 100 birds along the east coast, and also a few Rock Pipits mixed in with them.

With the Bank Holiday weekend nearly upon us, it’s a great opportunity to get out and record some departing migrants. If you’re going away over the weekend or heading out to the coast, keep an eye out for Swifts, Swallows and Spotted Flycatchers which are all on their way out of the country now. Swifts are the first to really go, and you can compare their departures on the results pages (Swift here and Swallow here).

Don't forget that if you want to know what to expect on your weekend away, you can view a species list for your destination on the new list by location page here.

As for arrivals rather than departures, a short break in the weather last weekend produced an interesting mix of birds along the coast in the northeast. This included good numbers of Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts, Wheatears and also a few rarities such as Greenish Warbler (in Hartlepool) and Red-backed Shrike (in Tyne & Wear).

Elsewhere, other typical early autumn sightings included several Black Terns (up to 10 in Kent) and a few ‘trips’ of Dotterel (in East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk).

Wader passage continues unabated, with good counts of 12 Green Sandpiper (Kent), 23 Greenshank (Cornwall), 40 Ruff (Norfolk) and 800 Black-tailed Godwit (Kent) received recently. Some interesting colour-ringed birds have also been reported, so its worth keeping an eye open for these and reporting them here.

Good seawatching switched to the east coast over the weekend, with strong winds from the north pushing birds into the North Sea. The more unusual sightings included Black-throated Divers (Highland and East Lothian), 3 Pomarine Skuas (Highland), Velvet Scoter (East Lothian), 120 Common Scoter (Angus) and 8 Scaup (Highland). Elsewhere, 2 Roseate Terns seen at various sites in Hampshire must have still been quite impressive.

With these northerly winds, a few autumnal species have also started to appear, with 80 Pink-footed Geese in North Lincolnshire, a Brambling in Surrey and 12 Fieldfare in North Yorkshire being the most notable.

There was an amazing count of 255 Whimbrel on the Outer Hebrides on 8 August and 517 seen off Lewis the previous day. The birds were migrating south in small flocks and were presumably of Icelandic origin. At this time of year we get breeding birds and young from Shetland, Fareos and Fennoscandia passing through Britain.

The south coast bird observatories are now recording warblers on passage with good numbers of Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler passing through Sandwich Bay (Kent) in the last few days. Portland Bill (Dorset) produced 120 Willow Warblers, 25 Wheatears, 12 Sedge Warblers, 10 Garden Warblers, 5 Tree Pipits, 4 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Yellow Wagtails, 2 Redstarts and a Pied Flycatcher on the 8th. Dungeness (Kent) recorded a passage of 155 Sand Martins on the 9th. You can find out more about bird observatories by visiting their websites.

Elsewhere waders continue to pass through inland and coastal sites with small numbers of Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stints arriving.

The first strong westerly blow of the summer produced some excellent seawatching in the west of Ireland and west Cornwall. An impressive 900 Cory's Shearwaters were counted past Galley Head in Co Cork on 30th and 67 past Porthgwarrra, Cornwall on the same day. Smaller numbers of Great Shearwaters were also seen over the weekend. Along the south coast of Britain a good number of Balearic Shearwaters were seen. These are all highly oceanic species that undertake large movements at sea at this time of year. The strong south-westerly winds push them closer to our shores and they can be observed from coastal headlands by observers with great skill and dedication!

Many BirdTrack recorders have already noticed that Swifts have departed from some areas. Over the next couple of weeks they will leave us and head towards wintering grounds in Africa. You can see their departure on the graphs here or select the species from the drop-down menu and view the animated maps here.

A count of 101 Red-breasted Merganser at a site in Co. Down was good, as was a count of 80 Yellow Wagtails in Kent on the same date.

Waders continue to pass through wetland sites in good numbers with Green Sandpipers, Common Sandpipers and Ruff recorded at many coastal and inland sites. High numbers of Black-tailed Godwit have been recorded at mainly coastal sites; the majority of these are failed breeders from Iceland. The latest news from Iceland is that many pairs have failed and departed early this year.

Adult waders at this time of year are quite stunning - Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin, Spotted Redshank are still sporting fine summer plumage. Some sites are also recording Wood Sandpiper and Little Stint. A female Red-necked Phalarope was seen over the weekend at Titchwell RSPB reserve and was quite a crowd puller!

Elsewhere, an Osprey in Anglesey on the 21st was a good sighting and 30 Crested Tits in Highland was an excellent count.

Swifts are starting to depart in some areas and Swallows are developing evening roosts in reedbeds and maize fields.

We have created a new feature that will give you a list of species seen in any 10km square. You can either choose to see all species recorded throughout the year, or select a month. For example, if you type in TM46 which is the 10km square that RSPB Minsmere (Suffolk) falls in, then you will get an impressive list of the 264 species recorded by BirdTrack observers throughout the year. Selecting July records only will give you a list of all the species seen in July (146) and compares the lists for the last five years. To use this new facility, go to ‘Latest Results’ on the menu above and then select ‘Bird Lists for 10km squares’ or click here.

We’ve had a few interesting records come in during the last few days including an incredible count of 1000 Swifts at a site in Co. Wicklow on 9 July. In Cornwall, 18 Mediterranean Gulls were recorded on 11 July and a Quail was heard in Nottinghamshire on the same day.

We have received further emails from BirdTrack observers regarding Black-tailed Godwits which suggest that some of the flocks at least comprise of adults - presumably these are failed breeders returning from Iceland. Please keep your records coming in! Yesterday (6th) there was a flock of 160 Black-tailed Godwits in Kent, 37 in Lancashire and 30 in Portsmouth.

In Cumbria, good numbers of Common Sandpipers have been recorded over the last few days including 35 on the 6th.

Dungeness Bird Observatory recorded 400 Woodpigeons departing south-east on the morning of the 4th. Opinion is divided amongst migration experts as to whether these birds are actually migrating to the Continent or are coasting and occasionally making sallies for short distances out to sea and then returning. Based on ringing information, the median distance between ringing and recovery (of dead birds) is just 5km. However, observations at east coast locations has revealed movements in the autumn of birds apparently departing from the UK and also of birds arriving from the Continent. Of 2543 recoveries of Woodpigeons ringed in Britain and Ireland only 1% was recovered overseas: 28 were recovered in France and one in Germany.

Several south coast bird observatories have also recorded a southward passage of Swallow and House Martins. Autumn is here!

A number of good-sized flocks of Black-tailed Godwit have been reported into BirdTrack in the last few days including 150 in Cheshire and 70 in Lincolnshire on the 24th and 27 in Lancashire on the 27th. These flocks are likely to be mostly first-summer birds (born last year) who have not made the journey to breeding grounds. Most of the Black-tailed Godwits we see breed in Iceland. Last summer (2005) was a good breeding season for them, so there are a lot of flocks of first-summer birds around this summer. News from Iceland this spring is that the godwits arrived in good numbers and the weather was okay, but when they moved from coastal areas to the breeding grounds the weather bad and they didn't get off to a good start.

At this time of year we also expect to see the first adult birds returning. These are birds that have had unsuccessful breeding attempts and return early. Remember to look out for colour-ringed waders (and other species) and report your sightings to www.ring.ac

With a slight improvement in the weather, a few more summery species have been recorded. Spoonbills in London (17th) and Kent (19th) were no doubt wanderers from the continent, as perhaps were two Cranes over Scarborough on the 17th and presumably the same birds over Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire the next day. A Red Kite in East Yorkshire (21st) could have been a migrant, but equally could be a reintroduced bird. More unseasonal sightings included a Brambling in Norfolk and a Fieldfare in Lincolnshire (both on 18th).

A couple of interesting records of Cetti's Warbler came in recently from very westerly sites. This does fit a general pattern of this elusive (but loud) species spreading across the country. Compare the sightings between years on the results page here.

In the last week we have added some new features to BirdTrack. We have made it easier to add new species to your list. Rather than scrolling through a long list of name, simply type the species name in the box and the species name will be filtered out. Simply double click on the species name to add to your list. If you simply type in 'goose' all the species with 'goose' in the name will appear in the list above the box. Double click on the species you want. You can still scroll through the list and double click on the species name you want to add it.

We've also added a feature that allows you to print out a handy list of the species seen on specific sites. In 'Data Home' click on 'View my sites' and you will see a new column at the right hand end of the table. Click on the yellow box and then click on the printer symbol to open up a PDF of the species list from a specific site. You can print this out and take it into the field with you. If some of your boxes are green then it means you have enough data available for us to calculate a graph which gives you an indication of how many new species you are likely to see on your site.

The fine weather, combined with torrential rain in some areas will have mixed blessings for our breeding birds. A week of warm settled weather will have enabled many broods to fledge successfully, but the heavy rain in the last few days will have washed out second breeding attempts for many species, especially ground nesting birds such as Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff.

Migration wise, it is fairly quiet at the moment. A few waders are on passage - these could be non-breeders or failed breeders making their way back.

We are still receiving records of Black-tailed Godwit, including an excellent count of 300 at one site in Cheshire on 31 May. These are particularly late birds. Most of the Black-tailed Godwits we see breed in Iceland and by now should have arrived in Iceland and started breeding. It is likely these are largely non-breeding immature birds.

There was a late Fieldfare recorded in the Scottish Borders on 28 May. On the same date, two Quail were recorded at a site in Warrington. Quail have been quite scarce so far this spring but there is plenty of time for more to arrive.

Small numbers of Red-necked Phalaropes are now being seen on passage to breeding grounds in Shetland and Iceland.

We are receiving a number of reports of late nesting House Martins this summer, and in some areas birds simply not returning yet. Your comments are welcome.

The unseasonal strong westerly winds have produced an usual passage of Storm Petrels along the south coast, with more than 1000 passing west at Portland Bill on Saturday 20th. Elsewhere Storm Petrels have been recorded from Cornwall to Kent, with some drifting up the Bristol Channel and seen off Severn Beach (Glos) and off South Wales. At this time of year non-breeding Storm Petrels are moving around the Atlantic and down as far as the Bay of Biscay. The strong westerly winds have pushed them close to our south coast shore.

Swifts continue to be recorded in good numbers at water bodies, suggesting not all have moved onto breeding grounds yet. On Sunday (21st) there were 300 at a site in Oxfordshire and 400 at a site in Suffolk.

Honey Buzzards have returned to traditional breeding grounds in Britain. We do not show maps of sensitive breeding species on BirdTrack.

Brent Geese continue to linger with 300 Dark-bellied Brent Geese in Lincolnshire over the weekend.

Spotted Flycatchers, one of our latest migrants to arrive in Britain and Ireland, has been arriving steadily over the last week. The first few Nightjars of the year have also been recorded this week.

Many of our migrant birds are busy breeding and some early arriving Chiffchaffs now have young in the nest. For resident species, breeding is well underway too. Some double-brooded species such as Robin, Blackbird and Song Thrush will be starting second broods shortly. If you have nests in your garden you may be interested in contributing to the Nest Record Scheme.

No Redwings have been reported to BirdTrack since 1 May but Fieldfares were last recorded on 5 May in Lincolnshire and 6 May in Yorkshire and Humber. Geese such as Pink-feet and Brent continue to be recorded from several locations. Don't forget to keep entering your records of departing migrants.

Swifts have arrived bang on time with a big arrival early in the week. Click here to see the graph showing the proportion of lists which recorded a Swift. This shows the tremendous value of recording complete lists of what you see and hear whenever you can. The timing of arrival is exactly the same as in 2005 and 2004 - really amazing! Warm and sunny weather over much of Britain and Ireland this week means that migrants have continued to arrive. It's amazing to think that Chiffchaffs are already incubating eggs and Whitethroats are nest building - some possibly incubating too and they have only been here a few weeks at most!

The south-easterly winds on Thursday produced a flurry of Black Terns to inland waters across southern and central Britain. The forecast for south-easterly winds over the next few days, coupled with rain on the east coast on Saturday morning could produce some interesting conditions and potentially some grounded migrants.

Small numbers of Brambling, Redwing and Fieldfare continue to be recorded, although no Waxwings have been recorded since the 20 April. Do keep an eye out for these species and enter them into BirdTrack.

Migrants continue to arrive and in the last few days Lesser Whitethroats, Garden Warblers and Hobby have been coming in. An excellent count of 13 Hobby was made at a site in Kent on the 26th. Passage Ospreys were seen in Cumbria and Greater London.

This spring has seen an arrival of Hoopoes, Night Herons and Alpine Swifts. All three species are classic 'spring overshoots' and tend to arrive in southern Britain from late March onwards. In April Hoopoes have been recorded into BirdTrack from Cornwall (2nd), Isle of Wight (5th) and Cambridgeshire (13th).

The main arrival of Swifts are running a few days late compared with the last two years, although in the last couple of days some good numbers have been recorded 40 in East Riding of Yorkshire, Greater London and Oxfordshire, 22 in Gloucestershire, 20 in Warwickshire, 12 in Nottinghamshire and 10 in Kent.

There has been a good passage of Arctic Terns at inland waters this week, particularly in eastern England. The final push of Black-tailed Godwits is also underway as they return to their breeding grounds. Some adults are looking very brightly coloured at the moment - quite stunning!

There has been a steady arrival of migrants during the week with a few Cuckoos, Swifts, Garden Warblers and Turtle Doves arriving. Ring Ouzels have been recorded from many coastal and inland sites during the week. There has also been a reasonably good passage of Yellow Wagtails, with a few Blue-headed Wagtails recorded too.

A Quail in Cornwall was an excellent record, as was a very early Golden Oriole seen for a few days in West Sussex. We don't normally expect Golden Orioles to arrive until the last week of April and early May.

Swifts should be arriving in good numbers any day now. You can see the latest BirdTrack results for Swift here.

There was a decent fall of migrants on 15th April at Portland (Dorset):
" The most promising looking conditions of the spring - overcast skies and a moderate easterly breeze - delivered a decent arrival of birds on the land, visible passage was conspicuous everywhere and there was a distinctly improved passage on the sea. Wheatears, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs made up the bulk of grounded numbers and were numerous throughout the island (sample totals included 200 Wheatears in the Barleycrates Lane/Reap Lane/Windmills area and 200 Willow Warblers, 150 Chiffchaffs and 30 Blackcaps at the Bill); all three hirundines, Meadow Pipits and Linnets were arriving in off the sea in good numbers and terns and waders were passing in quantity for the first time on the sea." Read more about migration at Portland Bird Observatory here.

Other Bird Observatory updates can be accessed here:
Fair Isle, Sandwich Bay, Dungeness, Spurn, Holme, North Ronaldsay and Filey.

Migrants have been arriving steadily but there have been no fall conditions over the last few days. The forecast for the weekend looks interesting with the possibility of some south-easterly winds.

Over the last few days Fieldfares and Redwings have been recorded from across the country with 200 Fieldfares in Cumbria on the 10th. Small numbers continue to be recorded from western Britain and Ireland.

Ospreys have been seen on passage in Pembrokeshire and Rutland (5) on the 11th and in Warwickshire on the 10th. Other migrants include a Nightingale in Kent, Pied Flycatcher in Dorset, Reed Warbler in Kent and Surrey and Ring Ouzel in Staffordshire and Warwickshire and a Whitethroat in Hampshire on the 11th. A Common Tern was in West Midlands on the 10th.

Common Sandpiper have been arriving in small numbers and several BirdTrack recorders have noted an absence of them so far.

The bright sunny weather in the southern half of Britain has produced a trickle of migrants, but perhaps not the falls that are hoped for at this time of year. Arriving on cue this week are Tree Pipits, Yellow Wagtails, Redstart, Sedge Warbler and a few Whitethroat.

Swallow, Sand Martin and House Martin continue to arrive, although the latter are still in small numbers. Around the coast, Sandwich Terns are arriving and inland a few early Common Terns are passing through.

Redwing, Fieldfare and Brambling are passing through on their way north and the Bramblings are looking particularly smart at this time of year.

At long last migrants are making it through, although migration remains slow in most places. Further rain over Northern France this weekend and rain in Northern Spain early next week will not improve the situation. Wheatears, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs are trickling in. Chiffchaffs are a good week late compared with the last two years - see the results here.

Sand Martins have been concentrating on water bodies and provide a welcome sight. Good counts include 500 in Gloucestershire, 100 in Essex, Kent and West Berkshire on the 27th, 300 in Staffordshire and 120 in West Yorkshire on the 28th. Ospreys have been seen in Fife, Perth & Kinross and South Lanarkshire on the 28th and in North Yorkshire and West Sussex on the 29th.

Sandwich Terns have been recorded in Co. Sligo (30th) and Aberdeenshire, Dorset, Co. Down and Co. Wexford on the 29th.

You can see what migrants are on their way be keeping check on websites for Jersey and Guernsey. Apart from large numbers of Chiffchaffs, migration has been slow there too.

Changes to the bird list - we have now changed Willow/Red Grouse to Red/Willow Grouse so it will be easier for you to find Red Grouse. Look under 'R' in the alphabetical list or amongst the gamebirds in the taxonomic list. Don't forget that Canada Goose is now Greater Canada Goose.

Despite the continuing cold weather and northerly winds, a few migrants are getting through. Wheatears have been arriving at traditional spring hot spots such as Portland Bill, but also a few have been found elsewhere. Overall, Wheatears are running about a week late, as are Chiffchaffs.

Other recent arrivals include Little Ringed Plovers in Devon, Somerset, Carmarthenshire and Gloucestershire, Sandwich Terns in Devon and Cornwall and Garganey in Somerset and Devon.

Hirundines are coming in slowly, with recent sightings of House Martin in Bournemouth and Sand Martins in Devon, Gloucestershire, Cornwall, Pembrokeshire and Westmeath.

Despite the weather, a few migrants have made it through to Britain and Ireland in the last week. There has been an unusual arrival of Night Herons in the South West, with several birds on the Isles of Scilly and others in Devon and Cornwall. Night Herons are small stocky herons that breed in southern Europe. In some years (quite rarely) we can get an early spring influx, such as those that arrived in 1990.

Other migrants to arrive during the week include a Garganey in Somerset (16th), Little Ringed Plovers in Surrey (15th) and Carmarthenshire (16th), Sand Martins in Cornwall (14th) and Plymouth (16th) , Swallows in Isle of Wight (14th), Devon and Dorset (both 16th) and a House Martin in Lancashire on the 12th. A Wheatear was recorded in West Sussex on the 15th.

Low pressure is currently sitting over southern Europe so it is unlikely much will be moving north in the current conditions. News from Morocco is that good numbers of Swallows and House Martins were moving though.

Feedback from BirdTrack recordersm

"I must say how delighted I am with BirdTrack. No longer will I spend weeks recording birds then lose or destroy the notes. Now, at the age of 70, BirdTrack will help me be more consistent; it is very stimulating. Congratulations on a fine tool." P.J., Dorset

"Excellent news! I will look forward to entering all my sightings into BirdTrack. I have greatly enjoyed Migration Watch -it has been great fun ,as well as scientifically useful. Thank you all for your efforts." H.B.

"Congratulations on BirdTrack, very enjoyable & providing masses of useful info." M.K.

The first Wheatear of the spring was seen on 1 March in Kent and on the 6th the first Sand Martin was recorded in Yorkshire & The Humber. The wintering Ring Ouzel that was seen in Kent on the 25th February was seen again on the 4th March.

The following message was posted by John Morgan on the BOUTalk email group and may be of interest to BirdTrack recorders:
"Spring migration in the Jordan valley, Israel is very, very thin, particularly for the early trans-saharan migrants. Hirundines, Yellow Wagtail, Short-toed Lark are absent. The ringing station has trapped only a handful of Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler. It may be that the E. African drought has adversely affected wintering bird survival."

It might well be another week before we get many more migrants arriving on our shores. A good place to look for early signs of migrants on the way is the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society. The first Sand Martin of the year was recorded on the 28 February.

Remember to keep a look out for wintering warblers such as Chiffchaff and Blackcap and enter the records into BirdTrack. Both Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps seem quite thin on the ground so far this winter, as do Firecrests which are often found in similar habitat to Chiffchaffs. You can enter extra information in the comments box that will contribute to the Winter Warbler Survey.

DID YOU RECEIVE THE FEBRUARY BIRDTRACK UPDATE BY EMAIL? If not, then please check we have your current email address. You can update your email address by going to Data Home (click 'Login to enter sightings' above) and then click on 'My Details and Settings'.

Very few Waxwing have been reported to BirdTrack over the last week, the most notable flock being in Glasgow on the 27 February when 96 were counted.

Small numbers of Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper and Greenshank continue to be recorded. In the last week Whimbrel have been recorded in Cornwall (2) and Lincolnshire (1). All these species are scarce wintering birds.

Given the continued cold spell it is unlikely many migrants will arrive in the next few days.

Following the record of a Swallow in Portugal on the 4th February, we have heard from Kevin Hayes from Cyprus who told us he saw his first Swallow of the year at Xylotymbou on the 9th February.

Some good counts of Fieldfare have come in during the last few days including 470 in Worcestershire on the 21st, 253 in Lincolnshire on the 20th and 300 in Hertfordshire on the 19th.

Other interesting records include a Little Stint in Rutland on the 20th and a Black Redstart in Conwy on the 19th.

With cold weather forecast on the Continent for the weekend it will be interesting to see if we get any cold weather movements. Do look out for flocks of Lapwing moving overhead.

A Ring Ouzel was discovered in Hampshire on 10th February and was seen by several local birdwatchers. It would be interesting to know whether this was an early returning migrant, or perhaps, more likely, an over-wintering bird.

We have heard news from Isabel Meneses, a local birdwatcher in Portugal, that she has seen her first Swallow of the spring. It was seen on 4th February near Lisbon.

Good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare continue to be reported, but Bramblings remain scarce in most places. Siskins are on the move at this time of year so are likely to be seen moving through gardens. Waxwings have been recorded in small numbers with recent records coming from South Yorkshire (65) and Suffolk (max 13).

A small number of Common Sandpipers have also over-wintered and recent records come from Suffolk, Greater London and and Somerset.

BirdTrack recorders have made some good counts of Red-throated Divers over the last few days, with 170 recorded off East Sussex and 65 off a site in Kent. A count of 13 Smew in Kent is also impressive.

There has been a Sandwich Tern regularly recorded in Kent and several wintering in Co. Galway. Also in Ireland, a Little Ringed Plover has been discovered wintering in Co. Cork.

Small numbers of Firecrests have been recorded in the last few days with birds in Warwickshire, West Midlands, Hampshire and Dorset.

Despite the cold weather some birds are already attempting to breed! BirdTrack recorder John Clark, contacted us to say that a Robin was sitting on eggs in Lockerbie on 21st January, but sadly, a few days later the nest had been predated. Do let us know if you hear of any other early breeding attempts and please consider filling in a Nest Record Card. You can get more details by emailing birdtrack@bto.org

This week we have heard about a Lesser Whitethroat wintering in Lancashire. The observer was also able to obtain some excellent photographs. This is just the third occurrence of a Lesser Whitethroat wintering in that county. Just occasionally, Lesser Whitethroats can be found in the winter. These are often not 'British' birds but come from breeding populations further east.

The colder weather in the last week hasn't really produced any notable hard-weather movements, although some BirdTrack recorders have noted a movement of Redwings and Fieldfares, particularly in the west.

At this time of year, Siskins will also start moving around, with birds heading north towards their breeding grounds. watch out for them coming into gardens, as natural foodstocks become depleted.

Amongst the records coming in over the last few days there have been 55 Waxwings in Fife and 50 in Perth & Kinross, 20 Greenshanks at a site in Hampshire and 11 Chiffchaffs, also at a site in Hampshire.

Over the last few days we have received records of wintering Common Sandpipers from Suffolk, Greater London (3), Pembrokeshire and Devon. There are also a few Green Sandpipers wintering here too, with records this last week coming from Hampshire, Hertfordshire and Pembrokeshire. More unusually, a Curlew Sandpiper was seen in Essex and a Whimbrel in Swansea.

There are still good numbers of wild geese around. We received a good record of 400 Barnacle Geese from a site in Co. Sligo.

A record of a Cetti's Warbler in East Riding of Yorkshire is also notable.

With cold weather forecast for next week, it will be interesting to see if we get any cold weather movements of birds. Keep a look out for Lapwing, Starlings and Skylarks moving.

Thanks very much for all your records so far in 2006 - the numbers coming in daily are quite impressive!

Redwings and Fieldfares continue to be reported in good numbers from across the country. Peak counts of Fieldfare on the 12th were 540 in Hampshire, 250 in Rhondda Cyon Taff and 200 in Thurrock.

Firecrest records have come in from Bracknell Forest, Cornwall and Suffolk. Waxwings continue to be quite scarce this winter, with the best count of 100 coming from the West Midlands on the 12th. Bramblings are also scarce this winter - are you seeing many?

The cold weather and northerly winds has brought an arrival of Iceland and Glaucous Gulls to Britain and Ireland. Many of these gulls have been turning up in roosts at inland lakes and reservoirs through the centre of Britain. These 'white-winged' gulls originate from Greenland and the Arctic and are pushed south during periods of northerly winds. Of great interest to twitchers, was the discovery of a Ross's Gull in Norfolk on New Year's Eve. These are small gulls of the high Arctic and are very rare visitors to Britain.

The cold weather has also seen Redwings and Fieldfares move into gardens in search of food. We've also received reports of Water Rails showing well around the frozen edges of lakes over the Christmas period.

Waxwings are still rather scarce this winter, so your reports of these are most welcome. We also particularly welcome counts of Golden Plover and Lapwing. Has there been a cold weather movement of Lapwing? Some BirdTrack recorders have reported small parties of Lapwing moving during the cold weather last week.