Autumn bird migration news: Still plenty to come

about 12mths ago there was a news report about 1000's of birds(starlings?) falling dead at one time during their flight(Migration) in the U.K. Many reasons were given but not a definate report! Has the reason for this event been found yet and what was it?? Does anyone else remember the news story??

Do Cormorants migrate? We saw over 100 of them along the water's edge by Hilbre Island, Wirral yesterday around midday. Thanks. Brenda Thompson

Just been surprised by a flock of Fieldfares while out on my bike. They flew out of a hedgerow and into the trees on the other side of the road. Had some in the garden a couple of years a go. Really aggressive feeders. Bye the way I'm in Dundonald in Ayrshire

What type of tiny bird about the size of a great tit flies in huges flocks? This morning about 6:30am I saw them but couldn't make them out. They were flying north to south across my garden in Runcorn Cheshire.

where i walk there are wild bees living in a hole in a tree,do they partly cover the hole in winter? iknow they behave a bit like penguins do huddling together.

are Red Kites re-populating the N/W of England?

Re your opening report on the geese on Islay: Love the show but anyone that has been daft (or devoted) enough to get up in the dead of night to witness a dawn sky full of geese will know that the most awesome part of the spectacle is the noise which you hear before you see anything. First you talked over it, then you played music over it, then you go back on set and Martin emphasizes the significance of said noise of which you have just deprived us! AAAaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!!!!!!

Any chance of hearing the real soundtrack without all the diversions?

Keep up all the good work.

Gerry & Sandy

Hi Chris have been watching swallows in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight what is the latest swallows have been known to leave england to migrate

Perhaps a geography lesson required on Autumnwatch? The waxwing has been placed on the island of Shetland on your map but you said 1 has been spotted on Orkney.

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Chris mentioned that starlings will start to migrate over from the continent shortly. We were on the Amsterdam to Newcastle ferry last night and saw small birds in their thousands passing the ship around 3 am last night, somewhere off East Anglia. Around 7 am off the north Yorkshire coast the starlings appeared, again in massive numbers, some of which hitched a ride for a while on the ferry, along with a solitary blackbird. Looks like they are on their way already!

I saw some migrating geese today! I think they where Canadian geese, flying in a double v formation (30-40 birds), honking to each other. An amazing spectacle.... My question is, where would they be heading? Are they arriving or leaving? I live in derbyshire and they seemed to be travelling SW.

I had a tree full off birds in my garden last December which I had never seen before and until now did not know what they were... they were waxwings, my picture looks just like this one!

I saw a black redstart in worthing were i live.Is this rare?

Question/Comment for the Chris Packham/Autumnwatch team from last Friday's program from Islay; thought you'd like to know that at 28.17 (on the I-player edition) a small wild Richardsons canada goose(a vagrant from canada/greenland)appears in close shot of barnacles whilst Michaela is talking to James of RSPB, anyone else reported this?

This afternoon I saw three bar headed geese in with a flock of Greylag in North Durham. Is it possible these are truly wild birds or may they be escapees?

On Friday 4th November saw our first waxwings in Petersfield, Hants

Hello, Absolutly love the show by the way ! I live in Colchester, Essex (which is about 20miles or so from the coast). We get alot of brids in our garden, blue tits, great tits, robins, wrens to name a few. For the past few weeks there has been a new bird, I see it mostly on the ground, under the bird table and hanging feeder. It stays quite close to the edges, near the brush and flits in and out of the bushes. It is about the size of a robin and brown all over. It does not appear to have any other colouring, no markings or anything. I am quite sure that I have never seen this bird before in our garden. I am wondering if it could be a bird that has come over from elsewhere, but I never see it in a flock, or even just in a pair. It is always on its own. I have done the RSPB bird identifier a number of times to try and identify what bird it is but am still stumped. Please help as I really want to know what it is ! When I see it next I will try and take a photo, but it flys off as soon as I go outside, I always watch it through the french doors.

Thanks for any help, again, I really love the show !! Katie xx

In the early 1950's I was a young lad living on a farm in Herefordshire, and became expert at catching rabbits for eating or selling to the local butcher. One year in particular I noticed that rabbits were being killed by something that would bite a chunk out of the back of their necks, no other marks being evident. Often while walking round the fields I would hear the squeal of a rabbit and go to where the sound came from to find a rabbit had just been killed, and had the bitten neck at the back. This seemed to happen at the bottom of tall hedges, and I sometimes would see a squirrel in the vicinity. I have often wondered what the culprit was, squirrel, stoat or weasel seemed likely. Could anybody clarify what was doing this?

hi again !

I am quite sure the bird we have in our garden is a Dunnock. I have never seen it before though but it is a lovely little bird and i hope it will stick around ! xxx

Spotted a male Gadwall on Southport marina on Sunday. After checking books it appears it's off any migration route shown.

up until yesterday it was possible to see a squacco heron at attenborough nature reserve in nottingham. Why is this bird so off course? what will become of it? will it get back on course or if it stays will it survive a cold winter?

Over the past week during sunny spells I have listened to and watched a skylark singing his heart out as it flies continually up and down then plunges back to its nest on the ground from about 30 feet. On Tuesday of this week another beautiful day I stopped again to watch and listen as the sound was so loud and intrusive. This time there were four skylarks all together hovering/ flittering at about 30 feet they stayed and 'played' like that for about 10 minutes then all flew off in a south westerly direction. Were they a family or 'friends' meeting up to migrate together, they seemed so happy in each others company. We have the pleasure of lots of larks here but I have never seen them in a group before. I live in North Cornwall overlooking the Camel Estuary and Pentire Head,

in a wonderfully rich birding environment. Would be nice to see more Autumn or Springwatch reports from Cornwall other than Choughs and Owls.

Over the past 2days we have 3 owls ( short eared ) we think on or oil rig 120 miles SE of Aberdeen have never seen this in the Ten years i have worked off shore , have any other people heard of this before