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

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

.............

Two grey wagtails this morning at the water bridge were a female and a juvenile.  although the latter was clearly capable of feeding itself it was receiving food from its parent.  were these our known breeders from by the meccano????
2 chiffchaff and a blackcap sang in the hawthorn wood but little else to report.
Back to sunday sitting on the bench at the top of the field gave me good views (and hearings) of the garden warbler as well as a female whitethroat and accompanying young.
family parties of 5 goldfinch and 5 greenfinch were actively feeding as well as a chiffy.
A walk back thru the school/training ground proved fruitless in terms of the black redstart but did elicit a distant calling raven.

Another cloudy and quiet morning

7 July 15           morning               mid section

cloudy,  16°c,    1007mb,    SW 8-13 mph

The whitethroat in the Shrike Bushes seem to be on a second brood, a pair were seen visiting an area constantly, though I didn't see any food or nest material being delivered. Also what appeared to be a immature was seen dumping a faecal sac ( poo ). The male or maybe another was singing near by.
            The moorhens at the Wetland site caused Ian and myself some head scratching a couple of weeks ago when we couldn't decide whether we had 1 or 2 broods, its been looking more like just a single brood since, but this morning the matter was solved when I ( and some of  their offspring ) witnessed the two adults copulating.
     Two grey wagtail at the Prefab spill weir briefly, were again unable to be aged or sexed.

Mallard	1 brood	♀+ 8 nr f/grown imm ( WL9 )  PF,
Moorhen	pr copulating + 3 juv Wetlands,  pr + 4 imm Prefabs,
Black Headed Gull	2 ( 1 imm )	Compton Field
Lesser Black Backed Gull	odds over	mid section
Swift	odds over	Barleyfield
House Martin	6+	Barleyfield
Grey Wagtail	2	Prefab Weir
Wren	7 singing	mid section
Dunnock	5 singing	mid section
Robin	present	mid section
Blackbird	4 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	2 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	pr + 1 imm c/f-sac + visiting nest site  Shrike Bushes,  another singing  SB east,
Blackcap	6 ( 4 singing )	mid section
Chiffchaff	5 singing	mid section
Chaffinch	1 singing	Meccano Br
Greenfinch	1 singing	Compton Rough
Goldfinch	2 ( 1 ad )	Top Roses

The return of the black-heads

5th July 15           dawn till early             mid section

cloudy,  11-15°c,   1018mb,   SE-S 4 mph

No unfortunately i'm a teenager no longer, a single black headed gull flew over the Barleyfield on wednesday but today 24 including a youngster of this year were resting on Compton playing field. When I was a teenager we had to take a trip to the seaside to encounter any sort of gull. How times change, many of the gulls we regularly see now have never been anywhere near the coast. In fact B H Gulls breed locally at places like Clayhanger Marsh and Mere, Brownhills. The bigger gulls we see over and around the valley are mostly lesser black-backed gulls with the odd herring gull thrown in for good measure, some of these actually nest in the city. Black headed gulls will be around now through the winter and will leave for their breeding grounds next march.

Mallard	1 brood	♀ + 8 almost f / grown imm Prefab,
Moorhen	1+ 3 imm Wetlands,  pr + 4 imm Prefab,  1+1 imm Prefab weir,
Black Headed Gull	24 ( 1 imm )	Compton Field
Lesser Black Backed Gull	8 ( 4 imm )	Compton Field
Herring Gull	1 ad	Compton Field
Swift	odds over	Barleyfield
Wren	14 singing	mid section
Dunnock	3 singing	mid section
Blackbird	4 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	3 singing	mid section
Mistle Thrush	2	Wetland Fields
Whitethroat	1 singing	Shrike Bushes
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Top Roses
Blackcap	8 ( 7 singing )	mid section
Chiffchaff	5 singing	mid section
Jackdaw	odds over	mid section
Chaffinch	1 singing	Meccano Br
Greenfinch	2 singing	Barleyfield
Goldfinch	2+ ( 1+ imm )	Top Roses
Bullfinch	3	♂ Top Roses,  pr Paddocks
Reed Bunting	1 ♀	flew from Top Roses to Barleyfield Annex,

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

Black Redstart on the Barleyfield

1st july 15             dawn till early                mid setion

sunny & warm,  20-28°c,  1013mb,  SE 12-9 mph

A very early start ( 04:40 ) paid off when I heard a garden warbler singing at the top of the Barleyfield, as we haven't had one sing for a few weeks now I wanted to find it. While searching I was aware of plenty of activity in the immediate area ( 2 yng greenfinch chasing around + a juv bullfinch and a chaffinch), having located the GW I began checking the other birds, when one with a rusty colour around the base of the tail came into view and quickly disappeared again. Eventually it showed again but only briefly as before,  again showing the rusty tail base, After more waiting a bird dropped down into nettles and then up onto the branches of recently felled trees lying on the ground where at last I managed a better view. Apart from the orange-red tail area it was pretty non-descript, having darkish grey back and head and lighter grey underparts, the breast was slightly spotty? There was a darker area on the forewing corresponding to the greater coverts and primaries, it had a dark eye and its bill was medium long,pointed and dark, I didn't get the leg colour. It then disappeared into the Cherry tree and was lost from view. 

              This will be first record of black redstart for at least 10 yrs.

Grey Heron	1	Wetlands
Mallard	pair	Wetlands
Buzzard	pair over	Barleyfield
Moorhen	1 brood	Wetlands
Black Headed Gull	1 >> NE over	Barleyfield. 1st returning summer bird,
Lesser Black Backed Gull	11	Compton Field
Herring Gull	1 ad	Compton Field
Swift	odds over	Barleyfield
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1 >> N over	Compton Field
Swallow	1 over	Top Roses
Wren	14 singing	mid section
Dunnock	3 singing	mid section
Black Redstart	1 ♀ type	Doctor's clearing
Blackbird	5 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	5 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	3 singing	Barleyfield
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Top Roses
Blackcap	11 (8 singing)	mid section
Chiffchaff	6 singing	mid section
Chaffinch	2 ( 1 singing )	mid section
Greenfinch	1 singing	2 juv Top Roses,  + 1 singing + 4 flying around,
Goldfinch	1 singing	Top Roses
Bullfinch	1 juv Top Roses,  1♂  Top Roses  flew to  Barleyfield Annex,  pair Paddock,

June round up

Geoff has been doing a great job keeping the sight updated so this is just filling the gaps with sightings when I have been on my own.
Garden Warbler; as he mentioned I found a bird on the canal towpath which called and flew to Compton rough, according to hollam young stay with female for a few weeks after fledging so was this a lone male?
Goldcrest; A family party with 3 young was in the hole (sw bfied corner) in the middle of the month and also a separate juvenile in the paddocks, likely to be on second brood now. (are the recent juv blackcaps also 2nd brood??)
Water Vole also mid month a vole swam across and disappeared almost beneath my feet at spill weir.
Large skipper and ringlet butterflies on the field.
A superb male broad bodied chaser on Saturday morning at the wetland suggests that the distant dragonfly 3 days earlier was a female of that species.

Another quiet morning

29th June 15           morning                  mid section

mostly cloudy,warm,  15-18°c,  1021mb,  W 4-WSW 8 mph

I've cut my visits down over the last week or so, trying to get down every other day but also taking the weather into account. Sunshine after overnight rain is usually best but as long as it's sunny that's o/k. Got it a bit wrong this morning, the forecast was for more sun. Lets see what the predicted heatwave over the next week will have in store.
              The only bird of note today was the pied wagtail on Compton Playing Field, it looked like a juvenile and if so its proof of local breeding. This happens every year, we pick up the odd adult during late spring and about this time of year a family party are found. Where they breed is a mystery.

Grey Heron	1	1 on tow path south of Meccano  Br,
Mallard	1 brood	1♀ Wetlands,   ♀ + 8 w/grown imm MV
Buzzard	1 over	Barleyfield
Moorhen	1 imm Meadow View, 1 Wetlands,   pr+4 imm Prefabs, 1+1 imm Prefab weir
Stock Dove	1	Wetlands
Swift	odds over	Barleyfield
Pied Wagtail	1♀ type	Compton Field
Wren	11 singing	mid section
Dunnock	2 singing	mid section
Robin	1 juv + 1 singing	1 juv Hanging Grds, 1 singing Squash Club
Blackbird	8 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	2 singing	mid section
Mistle Thrush	3	Compton Field
Whitethroat	1	Shrike Bushes
Blackcap	8 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	7 singing	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	1	The Paddock
Jay	1 flew W over	Barleyfield
Jackdaw	odds over	mid section
Greenfinch	2 singing	Barleyfield

Juvenile Treecreeper on Barleyfield

27th June 15          morning              mid section

sunny & warm,  15-18°c,  1018mb,  WSW 6-W 11 mph

A much better day than of late, with more singing and more youngsters showing in the warm sunshine and lighter winds. The highlight was a juvenile treecreeper basking in sunshine on a dead elder branch in the Hanging Grds, near by a male blackcap was feeding juveniles and what looked like a young jay flew across the Barleyfield. I met Ian earlier who had seen a garden warbler not very far away by the canal ( more from Ian later maybe ). Maybe from the Barleyfield family. The moorhen family at the Wetlands have increased to four youngsters with two adults. ( more on that at a later date ).

Mallard	1 brood	♀+ 8 imm Meadow View
Moorhen	pr + 4 chk Wetlands,  1+4 w/grown juv Prefabs, 1+1 imm Prefab weir,
Stock Dove	1	Wetlands
Swift	present	8+ over Barleyfield,
House Martin	2+	2+ over Barleyfield,
Grey Wagtail	1	Compton Lock
Wren	10 singing	mid section
Dunnock	2 singing	mid section
Robin	present	mid section
Blackbird	8 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	2 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	3 (2 singing)	Barleyfield
Blackcap	14 (10 singing)	mid section
Chiffchaff	7 singing	mid section
Treecreeper	1 juv	Hanging Grds
Jay	1 imm > E	Barleyfield
Chaffinch	3 singing	mid section
Goldfinch	1	Graiseley Culvert
Bullfinch	pair	Graiseley Culvert

Very quiet again

24th June 15            morning                 mid section

sunny & warm, 13-17°c,  1019mb,  SW 6-8 mph,

A walk round with Ian but between us we couldn't conjure up anything notable. No sign of the young mallard at the Wetland pool even after a pair of mallard dropped in. The moorhen on the other hand still have 3 small chicks.

        Some selfish so and so has stolen a number of orchids from the Barleyfield, this not only denies others the pleasure of enjoying them but is also a crime.

Grey Heron	1flew W over	Hanging Grds
Mallard	pair	Wetlands
Buzzard	pair over	Compton Field
Moorhen	2 broods	2 ad + 3 chk Wetlands,  1 + 1 ¾ grown juv Meadow View,
Swift	odds over	Barleyfield
Great Spotted Woodpecker	calls	The Paddock
Wren	9 singing	mid section
Dunnock	2 singing	Barleyfield
Robin	few	mid section
Blackbird	2 singing	mid section
Blackcap	7 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	7 singing	mid section
Chaffinch	2 singing	mid section
Greenfinch	3	Barleyfield

Dont call me if your gonna hide

21st June 15            morning               mid section

cloudy,occ sunshine,  12°c,  1016mb,   W 11mph

The only sighting (except I didn't see anything) was a ring necked parakeet that flew over the Paddock calling, I looked up and all round but couldn't locate it. A large bright green exotic bird with long wings and even longer tail, flying around  looking like nothing else up there, but I couldn't find it ( time to hang me bins up me thinks ) (no wonder I can't find a skulking night heron at Sankeys pool).

                 Paid a trip Belvide Reservoir this afternoon and guess what? yes that was dead too. Must be the time of the year.

Mallard	1 brood	1♀ + 8 juv (WL9) Meadow View,
Moorhen	1 juv	Prefab Weir
Ring Necked Parakeet	calls	The Paddock
Wren	8 singing	mid section
Dunnock	1 singing	Station Paddock
Robin	3 singing	mid section
Blackbird	10 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	4 singing	mid section
Blackcap	9 (8 singing)	mid section
Chiffchaff	8 singing	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	1	Central Scrub
Chaffinch	3 singing	mid section

Move along their,nothing to see here

19th June 15          morning                mid section

cloudy,  11-13°c,   1023mb,     NW 8-11mph,

Very quiet today. great spotted woodpecker and grey wagtail the only species of note, no butterfly and not many insects to speak of. It's another two layer day in flaming june so that's why I supose.
          A mallard brood of 8 well grown juveniles near Tettenhall Rd bridges  may be the Wetland 9 ( one missing in action ).

Mallard	1 brood	♀+ 8 w/grwn juv ( WL9?)  Newbridge boats - Meadow View,
Moorhen	2 broods	1+2 chk Prefabs,  1 w?grwn juv Prefab weir,
Stock Dove	2	Wetland Fields
Swift	odds over	mid section
Great Spotted Woodpecker	2 (1♀) flew to tree in Paddocks, later pair flew across canal  to tree Meccano Br,
Grey Wagtail	1	Smestow Bridge
Wren	11 singing	mid section
Dunnock	1 singing	Wetlands,
Robin	2 singing	mid section
Blackbird	7 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	3 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	3 singing	Shrike Bushes, 2 Compton Rough,
Blackcap	9 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	7 singing	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	few	mid section
Coal Tit	2	Meadow View
Jay	1	Top Barleyfield Roses
Jackdaw	odds over	mid section
Chaffinch	1 singing	Station Paddock
Greenfinch	2	Top Barleyfield Roses

Up with the larks again

17th June 15           dawn till early              mid section

o/cast,  11-15°c,  1023mb,  SW 7 - SSW 12mph, 

Those were the days when we had skylarks on the Barleyfield. We do still have plenty of other good songsters, blackcap seem to be doing well here and most other place's 13 singing this morning is amazing for this time of year, others singing well this morning include blackbird,song thrush,wren and whitethroat. Has anybody else noticed the mallards going into eclipse plumage. Also whilst talking to Ian in Station Paddock Ian picked up long-tailed tits flitting between trees and we counted 23 in all, so they are beginning to form flocks already.

             News came through yesterday afternoon that somebody ( we don't know who ) saw a rare heron a night heron flying over Sankey Pool Dimmingsdale, (just off our patch ) ,so Ian and myself  went over to poke about a bit in the evening ( these things are active at night ( the clue's in the name ).  We didn't find it.

              If the truth be known that's why I was here at dawn, you never know our tree and bush lined pool could be attractive to a small heron like this.

Grey Heron	1 >> E over	Wetlands
Mallard	2♂ 2♀+1 chk Wetlands, ♀ + 4  ¾/grwn juv  Compton Lock, 2♀+ 2 dif age chks Sqash Courts,
Moorhen	1 brood	1 Wetlands,  1+1 chk Meadow View,
Swift	3+ over	Station Paddock
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1♂	Station Paddock
House Martin	1+ over	Station Paddock
Pied Wagtail	1	Wetlands Field
Wren	12 singing	mid section
Dunnock	2 singing	The Paddock
Robin	3 singing	mid section
Blackbird	7 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	6 singing	mid section
Mistle Thrush	1	Compton Field
Whitethroat	4 singing	Barleyfield & Compton Rough,
Blackcap	13 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	7 singing	mid section
Goldcrest	2	Top Barleyfield Roses
Long Tailed Tit	23	Station Paddock
Chaffinch	4 singing	mid section
Greenfinch	1 singing	Top Barleyfield Roses
Bullfinch	1♂	Hanging Grds
Fox	1	Wetlands