Barleyfield ready for stock dove,so where are they?

19th September 15         morning              mid section

thick fog early,clearing 10:00,  8-15°c, 1024mb, S-SW 4 mph

The Barleyfield was mown almost two weeks ago, normally a whole host of species take advantage of the seeds that become available, but so far this year all i've had is a few wood pigeon and corvids, so where are all the stock dove ( normally upto 20 ), jackdaw,crow and magpie ( usually plenty ). 

            The contractor has left the cuttings covering the ground, maybe that has something to do with it. It's suppose to be a flower meadow and leaving the cuttings will enrich the soil, which will encourage the growth of ranker vegetation which is not what a flower meadow needs.A phone call to the ranger Mark Game will hopefully get the job finished.

         Birdwise.   Chiffchaff and blackcap put in a good show, two nuthatch together in the Paddock along with a goldcrest and four chiffchaff was notable. A few late butterflies on the wing with a comma and speckled wood found.

Moorhen	2 young	1 nr full ad  Wetlands,   1 juv Prefab weir,
Wren	1 singing	Graiseley Culvert
Robin	21 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	1	Barleyfield Annex
Blackcap	4	mid section
Chiffchaff	4	The Paddock
Goldcrest	1	The Paddock
Long Tailed Tit	c6	The Paddock
Nuthatch	2	The Paddock
Bullfinch	3 imm	Barleyfield Annex
Comma	1	Wetlands
Speckled Wood	1	Annex 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

A good mix of species but not great numbers

29th July 15            early morning                mid section

mostly sunny,  8-15°c,  1008- 1011mb,  W 2- NW 8 mph

At 7 o'clock this morning I thought it were September, misted up car windows,heavy dew and pretty cold. Walking through the Paddocks I think someone had turned the sound off, but once on the Barleyfield things started to pick up, with 4 blackcap greeting me in the Shrike Bushes and as the sun performed its magic so I began to see some birds. Another immature willow warbler along with an adult was by the old oak tree at the top of the western border.

Sparrowhawk	1♀ circling to the south of the Barleyfield
Buzzard	1 over	Barleyfield
Moorhen	1 brood	1+1 imm Meadow View,
Black Headed Gull	18	Compton Field
Stock Dove	1 over	Top Roses
Swift	odds over	Tettenhall Ridge
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1 >> E over	Barleyfield
House Martin	20+ over	Barleyfield
Wren	4 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	1 singing	Station Paddock
Whitethroat	1+	Hanging Grds
Blackcap	7	Barleyfield
Chiffchaff	3	Barleyfield
Willow Warbler	2( 1 imm )	1 imm Hanging Grds, prob same imm + 1 ad  Annex oak,
Goldcrest	1	1 Station Paddock with tit flock,
Long Tailed Tit	few	small flock Station Paddock
Coal Tit	1	1 Station Paddock with tit flock,
Jay	1	Annex Barleyfield
Greenfinch	calls	Annex Barleyfield
Goldfinch	calls	mid section
Bullfinch	4+ ( 1 imm )	mid section
Small Tortoiseshell	2	Barleyfield
Small Skipper	few	Barleyfield
Essex Skipper	3+	Barleyfield
Comma	1	Barleyfield
Meadow Brown	few	Barleyfield
Gatekeeper	2+	Barleyfield
Ringlet	few	Barleyfield
Banded Demoiselle	1	Hanging Grds
Blue Tailed Damselfly	1	Wetlands

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

Well the birding didn't spoil the sunshine

9th July 15             mid morning                mid section

sunny & warm,   12-15°c,   1023mb,  NW 9-8 mph

I love this weather, sunny with a fresh NW breeze. No good for finding scares birds but a pleasure to watch the locals.

       The whitethroat family performed well in the Shrike Bushes but didn't sing ( it did for Ian earlier ).

Spent a pleasant half an hour watching dragonflies and damselflies on the Wetland pool but only had one juvenile moorhen. There was also only one juvenile with an adult on the canal just south of  Prefab weir? there should be four at both sites. A new mallard brood of 4 recently fledged chicks was a little further north at the weir. The elusive grey wagtail was again on the weir, but before I could get anywhere near it was off over the canal towards the Graiseley Brook, so no age or sex again. Interestingly Ian had two ( 1 ad ♀ + 1 fairly recently fledged juvenile ) at the Water Bridge yesterday, We're not sure whether this is a second pair.

Grey Heron	1 imm	1 imm flew N to Prefab weir,
Mallard	1 brood	♀ + 4   1 or 2 day old chks  PFw,
Buzzard	1 >> S along	Valley
Moorhen	1 juv only ( spent 30mins here watching dragenflys) others could be in the vegetatian )  Wetlands,  1+ 1 imm  maybe the other 3 are hiding  Prefabs,  1+ 1 imm Prefab weir,
Lesser Black Backed Gull	odds over	mid section
Swift	15+ over	Barleyfield
House Martin	10+ over	Barleyfield
Grey Wagtail	1	Prefab Weir
Wren	5 singing	mid section
Dunnock	7 singing	mid section
Robin	2 singing	mid section
Blackbird	4 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	pr + 2 juv	Shrike Bushes
Blackcap	11 (8 singing)	mid section
Chiffchaff	5 singing	mid section
Jay	1 >> E to	Central Scrub
Chaffinch	1 singing	Meccano Br
Bullfinch	pair	Barleyfield
Small Tortoiseshell	few	Barleyfield
Comma	2	mid section
Speckled Wood	few	mid section
Ringlet	plenty	Barleyfield

Garden Warbler unplugged 

3rd July 15           morning                mid section

sunny & warm,  14-20°c,  1026mb,  S 3-SW 6 mph

Is the garden warbler maybe looking to second brood? ( I believe they do occasionally ) Its certainly been singing and maintaining a territory since Wednesday, dashing between the Barleyfield Annex and the Top Roses ( the mixed habitat at the top west border ) performing loud and showy.

                 The Wetland moorhen brood still together with both adults and four young.

           Lots of small blue damselfly and a few broad bodied chasers also around the pool.

Moorhen	pr + 4 chks	Wetlands
Swift	odds over	mid section
Wren	8 singing	mid section
Dunnock	5 singing	mid section
Robin	present	mid section
Blackbird	5 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	1 singing	Hanging Grds
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Top Roses and Barleyfield Annex
Blackcap	7 (6 singing)	mid section
Chiffchaff	2 singing	mid section
Tit flock	c20	The Paddock
Long Tailed Tit	15+	The Paddock
Coal Tit	3+ family?	The Paddock,  1 singing,
Blue Tit	present	mid section
Great Tit	present	mid section
Chaffinch	3 ( 1 singing )	mid section
Greenfinch	4+ ( 1 singing )	Barleyfield
Bullfinch	♀ or imm	Hanging Grds
Red Admiral	1	Wetlands
Small Tortoiseshell	few	mid section
Comma	1	The Paddock
Ringlet	few	Barleyfield