"Storm Amy has passed, and with air pressure rising, there's the whiff of a seasonal treat: visible migration vismig for short. They travel in their millions summer visitors outgoing southwards, winter arrivals incoming from the north. Swallows, pipits, thrushes, finches and more. A remarkable population shift to mark changing seasons. Many fly by night, but some are diurnal, and at the right time and place, you might see a slice of this unrivalled phenomenon."
"A million and a half swallows travelling 6,000 miles to Africa, 700,000 redwings coming in from Scandinavia, 200,000 redstarts off to the Sahel region, half a million wigeons arriving from Iceland and beyond, and so many more species besides. I get nothing. At one point, six birds specks, really fly high off to my right. Meadow pipits? Maybe. And perhaps those were sand martins, the two darting tiddlers giving me the briefest hindview before melting into the air."
"Up early then and off to Hampstead Heath with its vantage points, as good a place as any in central London. I set my alarm and prepare for a bleary vigil. Thermos, snacks, gloves. The breeze is light, as prescribed. The heath's residents are out in force. Long-tailed tits greet me from the fringes of the wood. Carrion crows vie for scraps. A heron does its finest statue impression. I scan the skies, hoping for a steady stream of birds."
Autumn brings visible migration (vismig), with summer visitors departing southwards and winter arrivals coming from the north. Species such as swallows, pipits, thrushes, finches and wigeons move in staggering numbers, sometimes millions over long distances. Peak movements often occur at dawn or by night, and some migrants travel diurnally, creating local visible displays. Observers may prepare with thermos, snacks and warm clothing and use vantage points like Hampstead Heath to watch the sky. Despite large-scale movements—examples include swallows to Africa and redwings from Scandinavia—individual sightings can be rare and fleeting, making successful observation unpredictable.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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