The New York Times wrote that the birds deviated from their usual migration route towards South America due to the strong winds that accompanied the storm. It was blown seaward, after which a small portion reached the western coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. A total of sixteen different unusual species have been spotted in the countries.
It all started this week with the discovery of a North American songbird, the Canadian Warbler, which has never been found in Britain. And in Ireland, one lucky birdwatcher spotted a unique Spruce Warbler. This was followed by the appearance of many other bird species hitherto rarely observed in either country.
This included other singers, such as the northern parola and the Baltimore trumpet. There were also certain species of swallows that are typically found only in North America. “We usually don’t get these types of storms until later in October. Species like the red-eyed vireo and the yellow-billed cuckoo usually come this way,” biodiversity researcher Alexander Leys told the American newspaper. That this storm came so early meant we had to deal with a different group of birds. A great boon for bird watchers.
Bird watchers have only a few days to spot unique birds. Once they have eaten their fill, they move to their wintering area.
