Visible migration- adjusting your position on it all

Seawatching? No thanks, I'd rather be bushwatching.

Bushwatching? Just turn that chair around to face inland, and watch those birds working through the bushes. Just like many early morning visible migrants are simply making a minor movement, seeking out a feeding spot, many birds can just feed and move, looking to find a safe spot during teh first few hours to allow them to rest up and ready themselves for the next leap home.

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"Morning flights of migrating birds relate to density of nocturnal migration and direction and speed of nocturnal winds aloft", a nice little study available as an easy-to-absorb chart here:

Their conclusions?

"Coastal morning flight migrants may be correcting for wind drift incurred at night.."

"Stopover habitat selection may also be a factor.."

"General aversion for the ocean is evident.." (substitute 'large estuary' for 'ocean' here)

"Further inland, possibly other functions (involved such as) continued migration.."

"Local topography also exerts bias.."

Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes!

"Future research: increased coverage, more inland locations, spring morning flight.." Oh heck, a spring spent out on Horrid? Let me think about that one.

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My favourite place on earth for bushwatching? Point Pelee, Canada. No question.

Favourite place in north Kent? Sadly no longer really exists. Grain Power Station.

A dozen or so football stadium style pylons on site. Lighthouse-style attractions. With permission, several years spent getting a few spindly sallows established among the walkways.

A first flush, walking under the pylon lights just on dawn. Migrants into our mist nets. Then the second round, almost as productive, as birds that had holed up in dark corners move out to try to find good feeding. Finally, a third wave that we called 'the dog walker express pulling into shoreline central'. Over the perimiter fence they came, a flush of warblers that had been happy in habitat outside, but now felt too many threats to rest up. After the first two or three hours, all over. A trip to the western parts of the site, around the human-free scrubby water tank compound, would find a lot of birds.

Happy days.

Here on the South Medway? Horrid Hill? Nope.

Sharps Green. You've got one shot. Limited early morning parking keeps visitor numbers down at first, but there's a few die-hard locals who will be out, even pre-dawn. Most will stick to the paved paths at first, until the light is really good. Find your spot, a little ways in from the shore, where there's a nice hedgerow effect. And wait. On a good day, the waves get pushed through the area. All over after the first hour, but that good day will get you a total of 30, 40, 50 warblers. Less than you'll get elsewhere on the north Kent coast, but more than enough to keep you happy.