Wow a mega and a scarce on Barleyfield

28th August 15            morning              mid section

mostly warm & sunny,  11-14°c,  1013mb, S 6-SSW 10,

Met Ian on the Compton playing fields just after I had picked up his mixed flock of recent days. It contained 15 or so long tail tits, 3 willow warbler inc 2 imm, 1 chiffchaff and a blackcap. Ian had just seen a house sparrow in the Shrike Bushes so we went to find it, sure enough it was still sat in the bush and was soon joined by another, both female. This believe it or not is a mega bird here on the Barleyfield, I don't remember the last one I had.
    Ian left and I continued around the field, I ended up back at the Shrike Bushes so another go for the sparrow seemed a good idea, no sign but a bird sat in hawthorn bushes by the Graiseley brook cutvert 100+ yds away looked interesting? so I approached carefully and sure enough it turned out to be a spotted flycatcher. Lost it trying to photograph it with my phone through the bins. Relocated in the Meccano Gardens ( the bushes bordering Compton playing fields south of the bridge with the railway walk the other side ).

Great Spotted Woodpecker	1 >> S over	The Paddock
House Martin	5 over	Barleyfield
Pied Wagtail	3	Compton Field
Wren	1 singing	Hanging Grds X
Robin	4 singing	mid section
Mistle Thrush	1 >> S over	Hanging Grds
Whitethroat	2	Barleyfield
Blackcap	3	mid section
Chiffchaff	4 ( 1 singing )	mid section
Willow Warbler	4 ( 3 imm)	3 (2 imm) Meccano Grds,  1 imm Shrike Bushes,
Spotted Flycatcher	1	Graiseley Cnr s/well then lost whilst trying photograph it. Later relocated Meccano Grds,
Long Tailed Tit	c18	3+ Station Paddock,  c15 Meccano Grds,
House Sparrow	2♀    ( MEGA )	Shrike Bushes
Chaffinch	1♂ >> E over	Shrike Bushes
Greenfinch	2+	Top Roses
Goldfinch	few	Shrike Bushes
Bullfinch	2	mid section
Small Skipper	1	Barleyfield
Common Blue	2	Barleyfield
Meadow Brown	few	Barleyfield
Small White	few	Barleyfield

Still no change after a week off

8th August 15          morning                 mid section

warm & sunny,    14-20°c,  1023mb,    variable 4-6 mph.

A good day for butterflies but not birds.All the bird song has now dwindled to nothing and still waiting for the robins to begin their autumn song, ( Ian had a couple of robins singing in the week.) Autumn passage should begin in earnest soon, the few summer visitors were seeing now could be passing through ( the willow warblers I had last week were almost certainly passage birds ) or could be local breeding birds with their young, we just don't know.

Local birds like tits and goldfinches are beginning to form flocks.

Black Headed Gull	50+	Compton Field
Lesser Black Backed Gull	odds over	mid section
Ring Necked Parakeet	calls	Barleyfield
Green Woodpecker	calls	Barleyfield, the Paddock
Whitethroat	2	Shrike Bushes
Blackcap	3	mid section
Chiffchaff	6	mid section
Goldfinch	c10	Shrike Bushes
Bullfinch                    Butterflies	3+	mid section
Peacock	1	Barleyfield
Small Skipper	plenty	Barleyfield
Essex Skipper	2+	Barleyfield
Comma	1	Barleyfield
Meadow Brown	plenty	Barleyfield
Gatekeeper	2	Barleyfield
Ringlet	2	Barleyfield
Small White	few	Barleyfield