England enjoys huge inland Arctic Tern passage

An impressive overland passage of Arctic Terns was experienced in parts of England last week, with multiple sites treated to triple-figure counts of the species.

Following a switch to a northerly airflow from Sunday 21 April, small groups were recorded in a handful of counties in the south and east of England.

However, on 22nd, a large movement was detected, coinciding with a band of rain that ran north to south through the centre of the country. With birds following the Severn-Trent line, central and northern England was treated to a veritable fall of Arctic Terns, which included counts of 120 or more at Pugney's CP, West Yorkshire, 234 (including a single group of 97) through Southfield Reservoir, East Yorkshire, and a mighty 240 or more through at North Duffield Carrs, North Yorkshire.

A marked overland passage of Arctic Terns was detected in England last week (Matthew Mellor).

 

Passage terns

In total, more than 50 inland sites recorded the species on 22nd, though much of England south-east of the Severn-Trent line missed out, as did the far north, plus Wales and Scotland.

On the following day, Tuesday 23rd, the volume of reports was reduced and also showed a different geographical spread, with most sightings coming further south and east, between the Severn and The Wash, as well as north of London. These included several gatherings of tens of birds and culminated in another huge count, this time at Staines Reservoir, London, that evening, where 220 or more were estimated.

There are several overland flyways that Arctic Terns and other species take in spring, with the exact routes taken presumably dependent on prevailing weather conditions, such as bands of rain or wind direction.

Smaller numbers of Arctic Terns were reported again on 24th, but sightings had almost completely tailed off again by 25-26th in less suitable conditions for overland migration.

BirdGuides map of Arctic Tern reports on 22-23 April 2024.

 

Weekend movement

With the wind veering to the east overnight on Friday into Saturday 27th, passage got going again over the weekend. This time it was London and the Home Counties that prospered, with a light rain band over the South-East coinciding with some big flocks appearing on 27th. This included a bumper movement past Dungeness, Kent, where 3,104 were logged during the day, amid a huge passage of terns that included more than 16,000 Common Terns.

Inland, an excellent 100 or more birds at Little Marlow GP, Buckinghamshire, and 130 at King George V Reservoir, London. After further heavy rain and a strengthening northerly wind overnight and into the morning of Sunday 28th, passage once again picked up throughout the Midlands. Although numbers weren't at the levels seen earlier in the week, a good movement saw many wetland sites pick up modest flocks of the species as they passed through.

BirdGuides map of Arctic Tern reports on 27-28 April 2024.

 

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