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16th April 16           morning              mid section

mostly sunny,  3-7°c,  1004 mb,  NNE 9-11 mph

 A cold and slow start to the day, as it warmed up ( a little ) the birds became more active.                               Later another trip just up the road to Pendeford Hall Lane, Coven, where the last few days has been home to a ring ouzel ( a mountain blackbird ) proved bountiful again. Along with the ROuzel was a whinchat, yellow wagtail, 13 white wagtail and 3 wheatear, Also the other end of the lane a green sandpiper and little egret.

Mallard	2♂	Wetlands
Buzzard	1 over	Barleyfield
Moorhen	1 sitting	Wetlands
Stock Dove	1+ singing	Station Paddock
Green Woodpecker	calls	Tettenhall Ridge
Great Spotted Woodpecker	calls	Smestow Bridge
Wren	13 singing	mid section
Dunnock	2 singing	mid section
Robin	5 singing	mid section
Blackbird	5 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	5 singing	mid section
Blackcap	6 (5 singing)	mid section
Chiffchaff	11 singing	mid section
Willow Warbler	1 singing	Station Paddock
Long Tailed Tit	1	Station Paddock
Coal Tit	1	Station Paddock
Great Tit	6 singing	mid section
Chaffinch	3 singing	mid section
Bullfinch	1♂	Hanging Grds

WHINCHAT on Chat Clump

20th May 15             morning                  mid section

blustery occ showers,  8-11°c,  1015mb,  WNW 12-15mph,

The morning started quietly with no sign of grey wagtails on a short shufty, Barleyfield dead, until I put my bins on the Chat Clump before I disappeared into the Wetlands, as usual. A small dumpy two-tone bird was sat there? it was either a whinchat or stonechat ( guess why it's called Chat Clump?). I moved to a better view point and after a while it showed again WHINCHAT a female. A species which used to turn up annually in small numbers until recently but has (along with other species) become quite scarce.

Mallard	1♂ 1♀	Wetlands
Buzzard	1 over	Barleyfield
Moorhen	1	Wetlands
Swift	2 over	Barleyfield
House Martin	2 over	Barleyfield
Wren	8 singing	mid section
Dunnock	5 singing	mid section
Robin	3 singing	mid section
Whinchat	1♀	Chat Clump
Blackbird	3 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	2 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	2 singing	Barleyfield
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Barleyfield Annex
Blackcap	5 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	4 singing	mid section
Great Tit	1 singing	Hanging Grds
Jackdaw	10	Barleyfield
Chaffinch	4 singing	mid section
Goldfinch	3	Shrike Bushes