Monday 3rd June 2013
Sunny, Dry, Clear, light Easterlies Evening

Mid-section - Compton Park, Barleyfield and Compton to Newbridge

At last!! Back on the patch. And what a difference: the trees and plants certainly seem to have caught up after such a cold Spring and it was great to see 10 Swift  over Compton Park and the Eastern border of the Barleyfield.

At the Barleyfield itself it was also pleasing to see that 3 pairs of active Common Whitethroat were still holding territories around the site.

3+ singing Blackcap were also present and the Willow Warbler was also singing on the Western border along with a pair of Bullfinch. 4 Greenfinch and Stock Dove passed South West overhead.

The speed, range and movement of the swifts, make it so hard to assess overall numbers and at least nine were darting high over Compton Rough, presumed to be those seen earlier.

On the Rough, the central Willows were certainly providing a valuable food-source as a 2 male Blackcaps tollerated each other, just, to feed along with many Blue Tits and Great Tits.

2 Song Thrush were singing near Compton Lock  and a Grey Heron was perched on one of the conifer tops.

I was taking pictures of Insects and Flowers on the rough, and the extra time spent near the lock served to confirm that a Great Spotted Woodpecker was running feeding trips from the railway line towards the Smestow/Henwood Road area to the West, raising hopes of young being seen in the area again this year. A Jay flew onto the railway walk from the West so hopefully they will be successful in this area too (A family of 5 was seen between Compton Park and The Barleyfield last year).

On the canal, the Moorhen nests appear to be much more conspicuous on the canal and after finding nests with one and two in I was amazed to find a pair just South of Meccano bridge with 7 newly hatched chicks!!!!

Family parties of 4 Long-tailed Tits and 4 Carrion Crow were at The Academy along with another advanced Moorhen chick (With possibly more underneath the overhanging branches??). A Chaffinch and 2 Chiffchaff were also singing along the canal here.

Our early brood of Mallard, have done remarkably well with 5 still together just South of Newbridge, having just lost one over the last month.

At Newbridge, more confusion over Swift numbers. 11 were tearing around the village, but were these the same birds that had wandered up to Compton Park? I feel that they weren't since birds nest at Paget Road and around Compton, but short of synchronized counting at the different sites you can never be sure, given the speed of these masters of flight.I have sat at the Barleyfield and watched groups appearing to move up and down the entire mid-section of the valley in past years.