Well, just yesterday (9th October) a fair few Redwings and some Fieldfares had started to invade parts of the UK. These birds coming over from the more unusual direction of Germany and Belgium, due to suitable weather conditions both there and here. More tracking of the migrants can be undertaken via the Trektellen website.
Other news. Just the other day I read an enthralling post on hoslist, a forum to which I subscribe. The hos bit, signifying Hampshire Ornithological Society.
The post was from a chap called Michael. My fascination came from his account of raptors and their interactions with corvids. On many occasions, I, myself, have seen Kestrels, Red Kites, even Barn Owls, all coming under insistent bombardment from Magpies or Crows. However, as Michael suggests, if you take the viewpoint that the “nuisance” corvids are preventing the Birds of Prey (raptors) from hunting, then the prey on which they feed, are being spared from a near certain death. Apart from the aforementioned, certain raptors such as Kites, are on the whole, just wanton scavengers but there are some, such as Sparrowhawks or Goshawks who kill many individual bird species. However, if confirming Michael’s rather rose-tinted view (his words, not mine) then the episodes illustrated above, widely witnessed by us each and every day of every year, indicates yet another event of natural selection taking place.
Cheers
Tony
Images courtesy of BWPi
naturestimeline 
In my experience the raptors that receive the most amount of corvid harassment are common buzzards. I’ve watched them chased off by crows & rooks in Wales and in Spain being mobbed by spotless starlings. They never seem to retaliate though, just slink away for a while.
Too true. For a long time, I was of the opinion that Buzzards represent little, if any threat, to any of our breeding birds. However, this year’s BBC Springwatch programme changed all that. Having watched them bringing in all manner of things, which included ducklings, blackbird nestlings etc. Mind you, perhaps there was a drop in the rabbit population at the time it was filmed? I forget, but I believe it may have actually been somewhere in Wales.
With regards to my comment about raptors, I was thinking, that you may well see a migration spectacle when you venture down. However, on the other hand, it could well be over by the time you go.
Kind Regards
Tony Powell