Migration is often not so obvious in the autumn as it is in spring with summer visitors ‘disappearing’ gradually, often without notice. Winter visitors tend to arrive over a longer time period and are not in such a rush as spring migrants; the urgency of the breeding season is not there. It’s a really exciting time though, with winter thrushes, flocks of geese and swans arriving and the dispersal of raptors to their wintering grounds.

Recording the departure dates of migrants is often considered more difficult than noting arrival dates. By submitting lists regularly to BirdTrack we will be able to get a clear picture of the timing and pattern of departure of summer visitors. Many bird reports give the latest dates for summer migrants but few offer long-term averages. The table below gives the average departure dates for summer visitors in Hampshire, West Midlands, Leicestershire, Lancashire and Shetland. Information is not available for all species in all counties.

For many birdwatchers, autumn brings with it excitement and anticipation. If the winds blow from the east during September and October will there be a good arrival of far eastern species like Pallas’s Warbler, Radde’s Warbler or perhaps something rarer like a Pechora Pipit? Birdwatchers in Ireland and the west of Britain will be closely following the weather maps looking for fast moving depressions moving across the Atlantic that could bring an arrival of American vagrants like Red-eyed Vireo, Buff-breasted Sandpipers and rare thrushes and warblers.

Birdwatching inland during the autumn can also produce some good birds with Pied Flycatchers, waders and terns moving through. It’s worth spending some time looking at tit flocks as these often harbour warblers like Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Even rarer species like Yellow-browed Warbler are sometimes found amongst tit flocks in October and November.