A run of the mill autumn day

22nd August 15               morning                mid section

muggy,some sun,  16-22°c,  1017mb,   SE 5-7 mph,

The warblers are on the move as can be seen by the wildly fluctuating numbers,with blackcap predominating today but whitethroat yesterday and chiffchaff up and down, willow warbler one day but not the next. Also an increase in sightings of kingfisher,nuthatch and woodpeckers which are local breeding birds but always reappear as autumn takes hold.

Butterflies put in a good show  today, small copper probably the star.

Mallard	few	S&W Canal
Buzzard	2	1 moulting ad over Valley,   1 moulting ad >> N to the W of Meadow View
Moorhen	few	S&W Canal
Black Headed Gull	1 over	Barleyfield
Lesser Black Backed Gull	odds over	mid section
Kingfisher	1 flew N along Smestow, Station Paddock,  10 mins later prob same flying N under Meadow View bridges,
Green Woodpecker	calls	Tettenhall Ridge
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1 >> E to	Central Scrub
Pied Wagtail	4	Compton Field
Wren	1 singing	The Paddock
Robin	3 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	1	Hanging Grds
Blackcap	5	mid section
Chiffchaff	1	Hanging Grds
Long Tailed Tit	few	The Paddock
Coal Tit	2	The Paddock
Nuthatch	1	The Paddock
Jay	calls	Hanging Grds
Greenfinch	2	Hanging Grds
Goldfinch	1	The Paddock
Bullfinch	pair	Hanging Grds
Peacock	2	Barleyfield
Essex Skipper	1	Barleyfield
Common Blue	3	Barleyfield
Meadow Brown	plenty	Barleyfield
Gatekeeper	1+	Barleyfield
Holly Blue	2	Barleyfield  & Wetlands
Small White	few	Barleyfield
Small Copper	1	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