As winter loosens its grip, London becomes a stage for the arrival of early summer visitors, heralding the promise of warmer days ahead. From the long-distance traveller, the wheatear, to the unmistakable chiffchaff and the elusive sand martin, March marks the beginning of a spectacular avian migration. But this is just the prelude to the main event.
Join us on 05 March as we delve into the fascinating world of bird arrivals in London. Discover where to spot the first willow warblers, blackcaps, and redstarts, and learn about the incredible journeys these birds undertake to reach our shores. From the open marshes to the heart of the city, we’ll guide you through the best places to witness these early arrivals and share the stories behind their remarkable migrations.
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Bird Arrivals
Next month is when the main surge of summer visitors arrive on our shores, but ‘early birds’ like the wheatear, chiffchaff and sand martin arrive this month. Towards the end of the month, with so many ardent birdwatchers in London, there may well be the first reported sightings of willow warbler, blackcap, stonechat, sedge warbler, yellow wagtail, meadow pipit, whinchat and redstart. More rarely, Dartford warbler, grasshopper warbler, tree pipit and ring ouzel are recorded. In April all these birds will arrive in greater numbers, but these first few arrivals are greatly anticipated as heralds of our summer to come.
Wheatears are justifiably famous as one of the greatest of all long distance migrants, some birds travelling as much as twenty thousand miles in a single year. Ours arrive from Africa, often in the third week of March, turning up in open grassy areas such as Rainham marshes. They are said to prefer places “where the wind blows free” and this is often the case even in London. Not too long ago they were caught in their thousands on Beachy Head in Sussex and sold in London markets to serve on Victorian dining tables.
The chiffchaffs arriving this month can be heard in many parks, gardens, woods and commons. Once heard they are easily seen, as they return just before the trees unfurl their leaves. Their name is synonymous with their call and once the listener has fitted the words to the call, they will hear them all over London.
The first sand martins are less easily seen. They look like a browner version of the house martin but usually only stop for a short time to feed on insects before they move on. Places where there are plenty of early insects, such as Beddington Farmlands, are good places to look for them, although they often fly at night and consequently get missed. March is also a month when birds fly the wrong way resulting in continental off-shoots or vagrants such as various rare gulls and grebes and even the occasional crane, American robin or bluethroat.
