What did I tell you

2nd April 16             evening                mid section

sunny & warm,    13-12°c,  1007 mb,  S 9-7 mph

 Rain this morning prevented me from doing the valley, so I ended up at Belvide Reservoir , where I found a singing blackcap. But this evening in sunny and warm conditions I found a another singing blackcap, albeit only briefly. Ian saw a male near Compton lock on tuesday but not singing.

Great Spotted Woodpecker	1 >> SW over	The Paddock
Blackbird	9 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	5 singing	mid section
Blackcap	1 singing	The Paddock
Chiffchaff	3 singing	mid section
Coal Tit	1 singing	Station Paddock
Chaffinch	3 singing	mid section

Lack sunshine lack birds and song

26th February 16          morning                mid section

hazy sunshine,   3-6°c,   1009 mb,     SE 5-8 mph

 A mini version of yesterday. Missing six species and numbers down, all I suspect down to the lack of sunshine.

Little Grebe	2	both approaching s/p  Squash Club,
Canada Goose	5 over NE	mid section
Moorhen	1	Wetlands
Black Headed Gull	5 & 37	5 Compton Field,  37 Compton Park,
Stock Dove	1 singing	Lower Alders
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1 drumming	Lower Alders
Wren	4 singing	mid section
Dunnock	4 singing	mid section
Robin	7 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	1 singing	Lower Alders
Long Tailed Tit	2	Shrike Bushes
Coal Tit	calls	Top Birches
Great Tit	2 singing	mid section
Chaffinch	3 (1 singing)	mid section
Greenfinch	1 singing	Top Roses

Playing catch up

fri 5th February 16    morning     mid section 

cloudy,  9-10°c,  985 mb,   SW 4-7 mph

Good to be back after a week off. Nothing particularly outstanding but a good mix of species, the best being three goosander over Compton Lock. The ground is much drier ( until it rains again I suppose??). Plants in flower, daffs,snowdrops,lesser celandine and  lesser periwinkle. 

Little Grebe	3	S&W canal
Goosander	3 flew N over Compton Lock then flew back S,
Buzzard	2	mid section
Moorhen	2	Wetlands
Black Headed Gull	21	Compton Field
Lesser Black Backed Gull	1	Compton Field
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1♀	Top Roses
Wren	1 singing	Smestow Bridge
Dunnock	1 singing	Meadow View
Robin	14 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	4 singing	mid section
Coal Tit	2+	Newbride Wharf feeders
Great Tit	3 singing	mid section
Nuthatch	3	mid section
Chaffinch	1 singing	The Paddock
Greenfinch	7	Top Roses

 

Kingfisher and Ring neck Parakeet

23rd January 16          morning             mid section

hazy sunshine,  7-9°c,  1028 mb,  S 8-13 mph

  A kingfisher at the Prefabs was a first for the year and good to see it's still around. Met Ian at Compton Lock and continued to the Barleyfield where we had a great spotted woodpecker drumming in the Annex and a goldcrest in trees there also about ten redwing around the Wetland area. A chaffinch singing along Railway Walk past the Paddocks is very early along with several great tit and plenty of robins singing. A ring neck parakeet seen and heard flying south over Station Paddock and maybe the same bird later heard calling further north in Newbridge wood. Another great spot a male seen in trees at Double Pennant and a total of five little grebe including the two summery birds rounded off a decent mornings birding.

Little Grebe	5	S&W canal
Mute Swan	1 imm ♂	Meadow View
Ring Necked Parakeet	1 flew S over Station Paddock,  poss same calling Newbridge wood,
Kingfisher	1 flushed from Graiseley Brook Prefabs,
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1 drumming Barleyfield  Annex,   1♂ Double Pennant,
Robin	13 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	1 singing	Smestow Meadow
Redwing	c10	Wetlands
Goldcrest	1	1 exit Barleyfield Annex to railway,
Long Tailed Tit	c10	Smestow Aldersley Stadium
Coal Tit	2	Newbridge Wharf feeder
Great Tit	5 singing	mid section
Chaffinch	5 ( 1 singing )	mid section
Greenfinch	7+ 5	mid section
Bullfinch		mid section

Didn't see Ian but we seem to have had a similar day

3rd November 15            morning              mid section

O/cast & gloomy,  8-9°c,  1016mb,  SSE 5-S 2 mph

As Ian found, most of the action was up the top of Barleyfield. Redwing, more blackbirds than usual, more song thrush than usual, plus 9 greenfinch. Elsewhere I had 3 fleeting glimpses of the kingfisher on the Smestow off the Prefab bridge and the feeders by the boats at Newbridge wharf produced coal tit x3 plus more greenfinch and three bullfinch. Two little grebe off Meadow View early and probably the same two north of Meccano on the homeward journey. ( none of which was the summer plumage bird ). So if Ian had the s/p individual that's three today.

Little Grebe	2 ( 1 just N + 1 S ) Meadow View,  later same 2 Meccano Br,
Moorhen	5 imm	S&W Canal
Kingfisher	1	1 fleeting views Prefabs smestow,
Wren	1 singing	Compton Rough
Robin	10 singing	mid section
Blackbird	6\8	Annex Barleyfield
Song Thrush	4\6	Annex Barleyfield
Redwing	c20	Barleyfield
Coal Tit	3+	Newbride boats feeders
Chaffinch	1♂+	Newbride boats feeders
Greenfinch	15+	9 Top Roses,   few NBb feeder,
Bullfinch	2♂ 1♀	Newbride boats feeders

A winter fare

31st October 15          morning               mid section

murky,   11-13°c,  1019mb,  SSE 9-7 mph

A good start with grey wagtail and 3 little grebe off Meadow View bridge and a few redwing over the Paddocks. Barleyfield was quiet until we got to the top where we had more redwing, greenfinch, goldfinch and a ♂ sparrowhawk, the sparrowhawk reappeared over the Wetlands  and we had a ♀ over the valley later. The Wetlands also held more goldfinch and chaffinch. A great spotted woodpecker (probably ♀) perched high in trees between Hanging Grds and the railway walk and the Barleyfield was done. The canal produced six immature moorhen, more than we have seen for a long time but 3 of them were just north of the Tettenhall Rd so not officially the mid section. Also at the feeders here by the moored boats we had a coal tit, loads of greenfinch and another great spotted woodpecker a male this time. A smart grey wagtail on the Smestow at the Prefab bridge brings at least 3 different individuals on the patch. Two here ( prefabs ) and another well marked bird on the Smestow by St Michael's school.

Little Grebe	3 ( 1 S + 2 N ) MV, later  2 Tennis Courts,
Canada Goose	c50 over Barleyfield in 3 groups
Sparrowhawk	1♂ over Top Roses,  again Wetlands,  1♀ over Valley,
Moorhen	6 imm (1 imm Prefab weir,  1 imm Meccano Br, 1 imm Meadow View, 3 imm Newbridge boats,).
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1♀ Hanging Grds,  1♂ Newbridge boats feeders,
Grey Wagtail	1 Meadow View,  1 v/bright Prefabs Smestow,
Wren	1 singing	Lower Alders
Robin	7 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	5+	mid section
Redwing	c45	mid section
Coal Tit	1	Newbridge boats feeders
Chaffinch	2+ Wetlands, 2+ Newbridge boats feeders,
Greenfinch	c10 Top Roses,  c10 Newbridge boats feeders,
Goldfinch	10+	Barleyfield
Bullfinch	2	Shrike Bushes

The one that got away

22nd October 15              morning                mid section

cloudy start, sunny later,  11-12°c,   1013mb,  WNW 14 mph

 Walking through the Paddocks a calling nuthatch caused me to look up to find a bird just dropping onto the top of a fir tree on the other side of the canal where it joined another bird ( ahh two nuthatch thought I, but no, the light was poor so only grey  silhouettes were visible but they were surely not nuthatch. The stubby bill put pay to that, so what were they? They looked quite big and acrobatic feeding on the small cones. I then found another lower down the tree where viewing conditions were a little better and this one was mostly green and eventually shown two light wing bars. After a few minutes all three flew a short distance to another tree and disappeared. I didn't relocate them again. So what were they??  Probably finches, but not green, not chaffinch, not common crossbill and too small for siskin.

Little Grebe	1 w/p Squash Club + 2 ( 1 s/p + 1 dark w/p )  Wolves Firs,
Sparrowhawk	1♀/imm	The Paddock
Buzzard	1 over	Barleyfield
Moorhen	2 imm	S&W Canal
Robin	2 singing	mid section
Nuthatch	calls	The Paddock
Chaffinch	1	Meccano Grds
Goldfinch	c20	Meccano Grds
Bullfinch	pair	Meccano Grds
finch sp	3 Wolves Firs, looks big & bulky,mostly green,stubby bill,with 2 light wing bars (ie Chaffinch) feeding on small cones at top of fir tree,

Meccano Gardens saw all the action today

12th October 15          morning               mid section

sunny,   4-11°c,   1021mb,   N 3-4 mph

A better day, with three quarters of the species seen today being at or near Meccano Grds. Chiffchaff and great spotted woodpecker the highlights but jay,goldfinch,chaffinch and bullfinch also. Two little grebe by the MS centre, a kingfisher ( dark one) below Compton Lock and another chiffchaff at the Wetland sallows.

A couple of late butterfly species in the warming sunshine rounded the day off.

Little Grebe	2	2 ( 1 s/p + 1 dark ) off  Meadow View
Buzzard	1 over	Prefabs
Moorhen	2 ad	Wetlands
Black Headed Gull	15	Compton Field
Kingfisher	1 (dark)	below Compton Lock
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1♀	Meccano Grds
Robin	15 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	2	1 Meccano Grds,  1 Wetlands
Long Tailed Tit	10+	Meccano Grds
Jay	3	mid section
Chaffinch	5	Meccano Grds
Goldfinch	4	Meccano Grds
Bullfinch	5	Barleyfield
Red Admiral	1	Meadow View
Speckled Wood	1	Prefabs

A mixed bag

4th October 15              morning                  mid section

sunny,  8-13°c,  1014mb,  SE 6 mph

Two warbler species, chiffchaff  one in bushes near Meccano Br and blackcap 1♀ in Hanging Grds northern end and a male by the Barleyfield crossings in elder bushes. Again numerous sightings of jay around the Barleyfield probably involving 2-3 birds and one calling by the station. Two green woodpecker flying and calling in the Hanging Grds, one flew across field to Wetland Alders. A nuthatch calling from the eastern border of Barleyfield was unusual. A grey wagtail foraging in the brook by the bridge at Prefabs and a little grebe by the Meccano bridge.

Little Grebe	1	1 nr s/p  Meccano Br,
Moorhen	2 imm	1 imm Prefab weir,   1 imm Meccano Br,
Green Woodpecker	2	Barleyfield
Grey Wagtail	1	1 ad wt  Prefabs on smestow,
Wren	2 singing	mid section
Robin	15 singing	mid section
Blackcap	1♂ 1♀	1♀ Hanging Grds,  1♂ Hanging Grds X,
Chiffchaff	1	Meccano Grds
Nuthatch	calls	Barleyfield Eastern Border
Jay	4+	mid section
Chaffinch	2 >> E over	Barleyfield
Bullfinch	5	Barleyfield
Red Admiral	1	Meadow View
Speckled Wood	2	1 Barleyfield,  1 Prefab Weir

an oversight from yesterday

A confrontation with the Barleyfield fox

A mixed bag

12th September 15          morning               mid section

O/cast after o/night rain,brighter later, 13-15°c, 1004mb, SE 10-SW 10 mph,

More migrants this morning after rain overnight, at least 4 blackcap and the immature male bullfinch I had on thursday in the hedge separating the Wetland area from the Barleyfield proper also a small flock of goldfinch flew over, 2 swallow flew over to the south and four small finches flew silently  around and disappeared behind the tall alder tree in the corner (possible redpoll). Elsewhere a whitethroat flew to the broken hedge in the lower Barleyfield, two chiffchaff were in the main Paddock and a grey wagtail was by the canal bridge on Meadow View

Mallard	pair	Wetlands
Moorhen	2 imm	1 either side bridge Meadow View,
Swallow	2 over	Wetlands
Grey Wagtail	1	Meadow View
Robin	6 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	1	Broken Hedge   Barleyfield
Blackcap	2♂ 2+ ♀	Wetlands
Chiffchaff	2	1 + 1 fresh ad  Paddock,
Long Tailed Tit	calls	The Paddock
Jay	calls	Station Paddock
Chaffinch	1 imm	Hanging Grds
Goldfinch	20+	Wetlands
Bullfinch	2 imm	mid section

Sunshine but no magic

7th September 15            morning               mid section

sunny & warm,  9-13°c,  1030mb,   N 3-4 mph,

Severn chiffchaff but most other migrants seem to have cleared out, just 2 calling blackcap no whitethroat and no sign of yesterday's  spotted flycatcher or lesser whitethroat.

Mallard	pair	Wetlands
Buzzard	2 over	2 ( 1 displaying )  over Valley,
Moorhen	1+1 juv PFw,  1 nr f/grown imm Meccano Br,  1 f/grown imm Tennis Courts,
Pied Wagtail	1	Compton Field
Wren	1 singing	Graiseley Culvert,
Robin	12 singing	mid section
Blackcap	2 calling	Barleyfield
Chiffchaff	6 ( 1 singing )	mid section
Goldcrest	1	The Paddock with mix flock,
Long Tailed Tit	c6	c6 Paddocks,  prob same Hanging Grds,
Jay	1 >> N over	Hanging Grds
Jackdaw	odds over	mid section
Starling	16	Compton Field
Chaffinch	1♀	Meccano Grds
Greenfinch	calls	Central Scrub
Goldfinch	14	Meccano Grds
Meadow Brown	few	Barleyfield

Where have all our warblers gone

29th August 15             morning                mid section

mostly sunny,  13-16°c,  1019mb,  S 6-WSW 8 mph

I haven't seen a warbler this morning, just 2 chiffchaff calling on the Barleyfield. On the positive side what looked good for a young buzzard was over Tettenhall Ridge with a moulting adult for a few minutes, if so it proves a successful breeding season. A female grey wagtail was on the Graiseley brook by the Prefabs and the moorhen chick still nearby on the weir.

Buzzard	2 over	1 ad + 1 imm over Tettenhall Ridge
Moorhen	1 brood	pr + 1 chk Prefab weir,
Lesser Black Backed Gull	odds over	mid section
Grey Wagtail	1♀	1 ♀ Prefabs ( Graiseley brook ),
Pied Wagtail	15	Compton Field
Wren	1 singing	Meccano Grds
Robin	8 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	2 calling	Barleyfield
Jay	calls	Hanging Grds X
Jackdaw	odds over	Barleyfield
Chaffinch	1♂ 1♀	The Paddock
Goldfinch	2 imm	Compton Field
Bullfinch	3	Barleyfield

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

An autumn selection 

24th August 15             morning                  mid section

cloudy,  13-16°c,  1000mb,   NW 4- N 6 mph 

Nothing special  but a reasonable selection of common birds with warblers, finches and birds of prey.

Sparrowhawk	2♀ circling over Valley,  1♀ mobbing Buzzard to the S of Barleyfield,
Buzzard	1 fully winged bird circling S of Barleyfield mobbed by Sparrowhawk, drifted N over Barleyfield then back S and away W,
Lesser Black Backed Gull	odds over	mid section
House Martin	5 >> N over	Compton Field
Pied Wagtail	10	Compton Field
Robin	3 singing	Paddocks
Whitethroat	3	Barleyfield
Blackcap	4	mid section
Chiffchaff	7	mid section
Willow Warbler	2 ( 1 singing )	1 imm + 1 singing The Paddock
Long Tailed Tit	few	The Paddock
Chaffinch	2	Shrike Bushes
Greenfinch	3	Top Roses
Goldfinch	few	Graiseley Culvert
Bullfinch	4 inc imms	The Paddock

A tale of two seasons

20th August 15              morning                 mid section

mostly cloudy,mild,  15-17°c,  1018mb,  SSE 4-S 8 mph.

A family of chiffchaff in the Shrike Bushes is possibly the last sign of summer and the breeding season for our migrants and a lonely swift heading south west over the Barleyfield is definitely on its way to Africa. A frustrating time of year for us birders when many of our breeding birds have left us but we are still anticipating the arrival of birds travelling south and stopping over in the valley to rest and feed before moving on. 

Buzzard	1 ad  SE over	1 moulting ad flew SE over Barleyfield,
Black Headed Gull	7	Compton Field
Swift	1 >> S over	Barleyfield
Green Woodpecker	calls	Barleyfield
House Martin	c10 over	feeding high over Barleyfield
Pied Wagtail	2	Compton Field
Robin	1 singing	The Paddock
Whitethroat	4	Hanging Grds
Blackcap	3	mid section
Chiffchaff	3 ( 2 juv )	Shrike Bushes
Jay	1	1 flew E across rail tr into Hanging Grds,
Chaffinch	3+	Graiseley Reedbed
Greenfinch	1	Meadow View
Bullfinch	4 ( 2 imm )	Barleyfield
Peacock	1	Barleyfield
Meadow Brown	few	Barleyfield
White sp	few	Barleyfield

Three hours on the Barleyfield

 16th August 15         sunrise till early          Barleyfield

sunny,chilly,misty,  6-11°c,  1017mb,   calm

A beautiful sunny start with blue sky at the top of the Barleyfield but thick mist down the hill. The early start just about paid off with a little more action on the warbler front but it's still very quiet. Blackcap and whitethroat were seen regularly in the western border but counting was difficult due to them moving up and down the hedges (  counting same bird numerous times  ) , most whitethroats together = 3, most blackcaps together = 3 but blackcaps covered a longer stretch of the hedgerow, no chiffchaff was a surprise. No early morning movement overhead to speak of ( pigeons, corvids or gulls ) was also a surprise.

Canada Goose	23 >> E over	Barleyfield
Mallard	4	Wetlands
Lesser Black Backed Gull	odds over	Barleyfield
House Martin	1 feeding	1 briefly feeding over Barleyfield,
Wren	1 singing	Wetlands
Dunnock	few	Barleyfield
Robin	1 singing	Annex Barleyfield
Song Thrush	2	Barleyfield
Whitethroat	3+	Hanging Grds
Blackcap	5+	Western Border
Jay	2	1 >> S along Valley,  1 >> N over Barleyfield Annex,
Jackdaw	odds over	5 SW over Barleyfield,  then  odds over,
Chaffinch	1♀	Top Roses
Greenfinch	4	Barleyfield
Bullfinch	1	Hanging Grds

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