We have reached the curious ‘month’ which lasts more than a month, called ‘autumn’, which loosely covers the period of September and October and everything in between. Time to catch up with these autumn specials.
Redstart
One of the small group of classic little passerines, which mainly breed in the north and west of the UK. For many of us the Redstart is encountered only on passage, in spring and autumn, in small numbers. They are shy birds, which prefer relatively undisturbed areas of hedges or fence lines, over short grass or similar, on which to pounce in search of invertebrates, before dashing back to cover. In autumn, males, females and youngsters tend to be buff-tipped and ‘fresh’ (which equates to ‘toned down’ in appearance). But, look closely and you should be able to age and sex them. And all have quivering tails on fire!
Little Stint
This, frankly, cute wader is one of the joys of autumn. Never a common bird, these titches are scarce treats, often mixing with other Calidris species, such as Dunlins, which are like giants in comparison. As with many waders, autumn numbers are dominated by juveniles/first-winter birds, which are neatly patterned and have distinct white Vs on the back.
Common Scoter
Strictly a sea duck, the Common Scoter has a strong preference for water of a certain depth in order to dive for molluscs on the sea bed. But, they also cross overland, especially at night, as increasingly demonstrated by ‘noc mig’ recordings of flocks passing overhead. During these overnight movements, bad weather (fog or rain) can cause the birds to seek refuge, and a lake (or similar) on which to rest for the next day. If you want to see one of the UK’s 135,000 wintering Common Scoters, the choice is yours: head to the coast and scan for distant rafts, or check your local water bodies after nights of nasty weather.
Red-backed Shrike
In the lifetime of many of us, the Red-backed Shrike was still a widespread and common breeding bird (though its decline started in the 19th Century), but became effectively extinct as a breeder in the late 1980s. Nowadays, it is mainly a scarce passage migrant, seen mostly at ‘coastal migrant hotspots’. This spring saw an exceptional movement of Red-backed Shrikes, spread along the east coast, and filling up the Northern Isles. Will we get a reprise on the return journey? In autumn, the vast majority of Red-backed Shrikes in the UK are first-winter birds so, if you do find one, expect it to be barred above and below.
Juvenile Black Tern
In spring, Black Terns pass through in smallish numbers, wrapped in their breeding finery of ashy grey, blackish and white. In autumn, we see a mix of blotchy moulting adults and juveniles, altogether neater than their parents, white underneath and dark above, with neatly rusty-fringed mantles and wing coverts. Note the black ‘shoulder patch’ at the base of the neck, a feature which quickly tells this species from the even scarcer, paler-rumped White-winged Black Tern, which lacks the patch.