There are big movements of chaffinches and other small passerines at this time of year down through France into Spain. The famous watchpoint in the Basque country, Col d'Organbidexka, has seen 25000 go through so far this year and on Thursday 14,259 went past watchers on the coast near Mont St Michel. We were on a Col 8km from Organbidexka on Oct 10th at first light when chaffinches, white wagtails,siskins and goldfinches came streaming up the slopes out of the cloud- riven forests on the French side, they passed us at knee height in an irregular stream of small groups flying into a headwind. Once past the col they flew on into clear blue sky hundreds of feet above the fast dropping ground. It is, needless to say, jaw dropping to witness anywhere but I think the dramatic mountain scenery has it over Cardigan Bay…just!
The Migration Atlas has some fascinating fact about chaffinch migration and mentions specifically large movements of continental (scandinavian) birds down our coast to cross into Ireland over the shortest route i.e. following the Stena ferry! Most interestingly the route taken into Britain involves mostly avoiding large sea crossings which entails numerous changes of direction. Chaffinches are amongst the most ringed birds hence all this info which runs to 4 pages in the Mig Atlas.