OCTOBER
BIRD OF THE MONTH
This pretty little ‘leaf warbler’ has, in recent times, become a regular (even expected) part of the British October birding scene. Formerly a very scarce passage migrant, it is now seen (and heard) in small but decent numbers (a few hundred each autumn) especially along the east and south coasts of the country. And, in the Northern Isles, Yellow-browed Warblers can comfortably outnumber Chiffchaffs in the autumn. They are pretty little warblers. Little, in the sense that they are only very slightly larger than minuscule Goldcrests. Pretty, in that they are brighter green than somewhat similar Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, and with a bolder, longer, brighter, yellowish supercilium (pale ‘eyebrow’), which extends to the side of the nape, a couple of yellow transverse wing-bars and yellow-lined tertials (the inner wing feathers folded across the middle of the lower back) and cleaner white underparts than the common leaf warblers.
They can be tricky birds to get a good look at, often remaining within cover of vegetation, but they are frequent and habitual callers, giving away their presence with a distinctive ‘seeooeet’ call.
FIVE BIRDS TO FIND IN OCTOBER
October is the most magical of months. Birds there are aplenty, with the last summer visitors still getting ready to leave, the first winterers arriving, and a bunch of scarce passage and rare birds finding their way to the country. There are too many birds to aim for, but here are five for starters.
Rock Pipits can be encountered mainly round the rocky coasts of the UK, throughout the year. They are slightly larger, longer billed and darker than Meadow Pipits, with darker bills and less streaked upperparts and smudgier streaked underparts. In addition to our resident birds, in mid-October, we see a regular overland passage of Scandinavian birds, which may appear at a suitable inland site near you.
Many juvenile waders are easy to discern from adults, usually being neater in plumage, with evenly (and often attractively) fringed back and wing feathers. The Ruff is a prime example of this. Juvenile Ruffs are a pleasing golden buff colour, with neatly buff-fringed back and wing feathers. Males and females (known as ‘reeves’) do share the same plumage, but can look quite different from each other, as males (aka ‘Ruffs’) are considerably larger, longer necked and small-h
