A serious irruption of Continental Coal Tits is underway throughout northern and western Europe, with a number of migration watchpoints recording bumper numbers.
At Hanko Bird Observatory, on the southern tip of Finland, a exceptional 69,000 had been counted on Sunday 1 October, smashing the earlier observatory file of 9,600. Further massive counts in Finland this autumn embrace 7,420 by way of Vuosnainen over 21-22 September and a couple of,800 at Santahamina on 25 September. In Estonia, a depend of three,400 was made at Sorve Lighthouse on 27 September.
A Continental Coal Tit on Fair Isle, Shetland (Georgia Platt).
The first two people recorded in Britain reached East Halton, Lincolnshire, on 14th, whereas a mass arrival throughout Shetland since nineteenth totalled an incredible 104 birds, together with no fewer than 14 on Fair Isle. In Orkney, 4 had been on North Ronaldsay, with two extra on Mainland. In mainland Britain, in the meantime, additional birds had been at South Shields, Durham, and Flamborough, East Yorkshire (three).
‘Continental’ Coal Tits are of the nominate subspecies ater. They differ from British-breeding britannicus by their blue-grey mantles, missing the olive tones of British birds.
