Weatherwatch: autumn gales divert migrating birds, to UK birders’ delight

A warm, dry year, followed by what feels like a final hurrah of summer as September gives way to October, has become the norm in recent years, at least where I live in Somerset. That’s usually good news for migrating birds, as they can head south safely, without the risk of sudden storms derailing their journey. But autumn can still have a bite, weather-wise. Strong westerly gales during late August and the first two weeks of September meant that several pelagic seabirds – those that usually spend the autumn and winter months well out to sea – found themselves venturing unexpectedly close to land. Related: I’ve spent 32 years writing about the great outdoors. We’ve both changed more than I could ever have imagined One lucky birder gazing seawards off the Somerset coast found a Sabine’s gull: a smart juvenile bird on its first journey south from its breeding grounds in Greenland. Earlier, the tail-end of Hurricane Erin brought flocks of this Arctic species off the coasts of Ireland, Wales and south-west England, with as many as 1,700 individuals reported. The Sabine’s gulls stayed offshore, but other migrants temporarily sought refuge inland. Two species of phalarope – grey and the scarcer red-necked – holed up at a Somerset reservoir, where they delighted birders for whom these tiny, swimming waders are a rare sight. After fattening up to boost their energy levels for a week or so, they departed on a calm, clear night, none the worse for their brief diversion.