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

First immature willow warbler this year

27th July 15           morning               mid section

mostly cloudy,  14-16°c,  996mb,  WSW 8-15 mph

The only interest today was my first lovely lemon yellow immature willow warbler this year and I think the first for the valley. Otherwise very quiet, Ian visited earlier and it seems had more action but still struggled.
Two identical mallard broods with two juvs each and of similar age but at opposite ends of the patch.
A few nice fresh comma and gatekeeper butterfly, along with mostly worn and faded meadow brown and ringlets.

Mallard	2 broods	1♀+2 juv Meadow View,    1♀ + 2 juv  Prefabs ( brook)
Moorhen	2 broods	2 imm Wetlands,   4 imm Prefabs,
Black Headed Gull	54	Compton Field
Lesser Black Backed Gull	odds over	mid section
Swift	odds over	Tettenhall Ridge
Swallow	1	Compton Field
House Martin	plenty	Barleyfield
Wren	3 singing	Paddocks
Blackcap	1♀	Meccano Br
Chiffchaff	1 calling	Station Paddock
Willow Warbler	1 imm	Hanging Grds X
Chaffinch	1♂	The Paddock
Goldfinch	8+	mid section
Bullfinch	4	Hanging Grds
Comma	3	Barleyfield
Meadow Brown	plenty	Barleyfield
Gatekeeper	few	Barleyfield
Ringlet	plenty	Barleyfield
Small White	few	Barleyfield

None stop birdin with butterflies 

11th July 15           early morning              mid section

mostly sunny & warm,  14-17°c,  1015mb,  SW 4-7 mph

A walk round with Ian, at times there were too many birds to get to grips with. Not sure how many whitethroats we had together in the Shrike Bushes, how many goldfinches at top of Barleyfield or goldcrests near the Paddocks.Not much going on at the pool, just 1 adult and two juvenile moorhens and a few small damselflies ( common blue and blue tailed ) but when we reached the top of the Barleyfield there was an explosion of small birds buzzing around, all common but all need going through just in case! Probably about 14 goldfinches scattered around the mid section and two different parties of goldcrest near the Paddocks, at least 3 including 2 juveniles in the firs near Smestow bridge and then 2 adults halfway along the Paddocks by the railway walk.

Grey Heron	1 >> W over	Barleyfield
Mallard	1 brood	♀+ 2 chks  Meadow View,
Moorhen	1 brood	1 + 2 juv  Wetlands,
Black Headed Gull	21 ( 1 imm )	Compton Field
Lesser Black Backed Gull	odds over	mid section
Stock Dove	1 >> E to	Wetlands
Swift	10+ over	Barleyfield
House Martin	3+ over	Barleyfield
Wren	8 singing	mid section
Dunnock	6 singing	mid section
Blackbird	1 singing	The Paddock
Song Thrush	3 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	2 singing	Shrike Bushes
Blackcap	6 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	4 singing	mid section
Goldcrest	5	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	1	Smestow Bridge
Greenfinch	3+	Top Roses
Goldfinch	3 singing	mid section
Bullfinch	2 pair	Barleyfield
Small Tortoiseshell	few	Barleyfield
Large skipper	1	Barleyfield
Comma	2	Barleyfield
Speckled Wood	1	Station Paddock
Meadow Brown	3+	Barleyfield
Ringlet	plenty	Barleyfield
Small White	1	Barleyfield

We seem to be in the mid summer mire

10 July 15           mid morning               mid section

cloudy start,sunny & warm later, 17-20°c, 1020mb,  SSW 8-S 11 mph

Very quiet again today. I've been on the school run most of this week so it's a later than usual start. It really does look like the early birder catches the birds.
      Good to see the two moorhen broods back to usual numbers and the mallard with 4 new chicks has traveled from Compton to Tettenhall.
    It's unusual to find so many swifts and house martins feeding over the Barleyfield in this fine settled weather, Don't see them until rain and overcast conditions occur.
   We may have some thundery rain tonight, lets see what that brings.

Mallard	1 brood	♀ + 4  v/small chks ( the PFw brood) Meadow View,
Moorhen	2 broods	pr + 3 juv Wetlands,   pr + 4 juv Prefabs,
Black Headed Gull	2	1 ad Compton playing field,  1 ad  Wetlands field,
Lesser Black Backed Gull	odds over	mid section
Swift	10+ over	Barleyfield
House Martin	c20 over	Barleyfield
Wren	4 singing	mid section
Dunnock	2 singing	mid section
Blackbird	4 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	1♂	Shrike Bushes
Blackcap	8 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	3 singing	mid section
Chaffinch	1 singing	Meccano Br
Goldfinch	calls	Wetlands
Small Tortoiseshell	few	Barleyfield
Speckled Wood	1	Station Paddock
Meadow Brown	1	Barleyfield
Ringlet	plenty	Barleyfield
Small White	1	Barleyfield