A raven kronk's west and a kingfisher flashes east over the Barleyfield

13th September 15          morning                 mid section

sunny & warm,  10-15°c,  1008mb,  SE 6-S 7 mph

A much more interesting day with highlights being raven,kingfisher and garden warbler. The garden warbler came early, as I stepped through the gate between Station Paddock and the main Paddock it flew into an elder bush on the bank of the brook, flying off before Ian arrived, also in the paddock were at least 4 chiffchaff. The Barleyfield was quiet at first but gradually picked up with more chiffs,blackcap and whitethroat, we found ourselves at the bottom north-east corner when a kingfisher flashed across the Shrike Bushes and disappeared behind the alders which form the northern boundary of the Wetland site, but on checking there was no sign in there. Later Ian heard a raven calling in the distance which gradually came closer and eventually we picked up arching high over Compton playing fields and turning to head south-west along the valley.

Buzzard	1 over	Barleyfield
Kingfisher	1 flew E past or through Wetlands seen from NE crn Barleyfield, not found at Wetlands,
Great Spotted Woodpecker	calls	Barleyfield Annex
House Martin	3 over	Barleyfield
Pied Wagtail	3	Compton Field
Wren	1 singing	Hanging Grds
Robin	12 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	1	Hanging Grds
Garden Warbler	1	The Paddock
Blackcap	2	Barleyfield
Chiffchaff	6 ( 1 singing )	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	few	The Paddock
Nuthatch	2	Barleyfield Annex
Jay	2 calling	mid section
Raven	1 flew W high over Compton Field   turning  to head SW along Valley,
Goldfinch	c15	Barleyfield
Bullfinch	few	Barleyfield

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,

Do we have a pair of breeding garden warbler?

4th June 15              dawn till early                 mid section

sunny,warm later, 6-14°c,  1026mb,  SW 2mph

A lovely deep blue sky greeted me this morning at dawn, a little chilly but soon warmed up.
   Apart from more bird music which is what I was expecting and hoping for there were some surprises. The first was a flock of 30+ lesser-black-back gulls on the Compton Playing Field which as one would  expect disappeared when the first human turned up. Also the local buzzard was there searching for worms.
           I found a warbler feeding young deep inside a bush which could be a garden warbler? if so its the first since 1997 but I need a better look if possible.
        The Wetland mallard still has 3 chicks, wonder if or when she will take them to the canal.

Mallard	♀ + 3 chks	Wetlands
Buzzard	1 worming	Compton Field
Moorhen	few	S&W Canal
Lesser Black Backed Gull	c30	Compton Playing Field
Swift	2+ over	Barleyfield
Wren	17 singing	mid section
Dunnock	4 singing	mid section
Robin	4 singing	mid section
Blackbird	7 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	5 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	1 singing	Hanging Grds
Garden Warbler	poss family	Hanging Grds
Blackcap	11 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	4 singing	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	10+ juv	Western Border
Jackdaw	odds over	mid section
Chaffinch	2 singing	mid section
Greenfinch	5  (4 singing)	mid section
Bullfinch	pr + 4♂ 1♀	Barleyfield

Kingfisher and Early Purple Orchid

3rd June 15           morning                mid section

cloudy early,sunny later, 11-12°c, 1017-1022mb, W - NW 11

More song in better weather today and plenty of parents feeding young including blue tit,blackcap,long-tail tit and after a period of elusiveness a male whitethroat was seen taking food to a probable nest site.
   An electric blue flash dashing along the Smestow Brook is an unseasonal kingfisher. Both Wetland mallard broods still intact,the 9 family was by Meadow View and the female with 3 chicks is still at the Wetland site.
  I went searching a traditional early purple orchid site ( no i'm not telling where, they have been stolen before now ) and found an astonishing 24 plants in a small area, Never have I seen so many here before.

Mallard	2 broods         ♀+9 chks ( WL9) Meadow View,   ♀+3 chks Wetlands,
Buzzard	♂ + ♀ with gaps in both wings over BF, (is this the local ♀ or the wandering bird we saw nr station 4/4 & which Angus is seeing nr Dunstall Pk.
Moorhen	1	Wetlands
Swift	few	Barleyfield
Kingfisher	1 flew south along brook at  Smestow Bridge,
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1 flew west across Paddock,  prob same flew south over Meccano Br,
Wren	12 singing	mid section
Dunnock	2 singing	mid section
Robin	4 singing	mid section
Blackbird	5 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	4 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	♂ c/food	Graiseley Culvert
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Barleyfield Annex
Blackcap	9 (7 singing)	mid section
Chiffchaff	6 ( 5 singing)	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	12 juv (prob 2 family's)	Barleyfield Annex
Blue Tit	pr feeding 1 juv  Station Paddock,
Chaffinch	1 singing	The Paddock
Greenfinch	1 singing	Barleyfield Annex
Bullfinch	2	Barleyfield
Early Purple Orchid	24	mid section

Mallards stay put but garden warbler moved

2nd June 15              morning                     mid section

blustery,occ drizzle,muggy, 12-16°c, 997mb,SSW 12-SW 22

No sign of yesterday's spot-fly,though given the weather I doubt it's gone far, I could easlly have missed it in today's windy conditions ( the swifts were feeding low down indicating the lack of insects ).
       Wetlands was deserted until after a waiting game the mallard family of  3 appeared deep in the reedmace before showing later in open water. The garden warbler was surprisingly found singing from the top of Barleyfield in the now reduced Willow and Wild Rose scrub, ( this was traditionally the area used along with the Annex to the west ).
    There is still a brood of 4 moorhen chicks just south of the weir back of the Prefabs but no sign of the brood of 2 chicks from the same area or the brood south of Meadow View. Also no mallard broods on the canal. I suspect the Wetland brood of 9 have moved off to the north.

Mallard	♀ + 3 chks	Wetlands still
Moorhen	pr + 4 chks	S&W Canal nr Prefab weir
Swift	10+ low over	Barleyfield & wetlands
Green Woodpecker	calls	Tettenhall Ridge
Pied Wagtail	1♀ carrying/food	Compton Playing Field
Wren	7 singing	mid section
Dunnock	2 singing	Barleyfield
Robin	9 singing	mid section
Blackbird	7 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	4 singing	mid section
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Barleyfield Top Roses
Blackcap	7 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	6 singing	mid section
Blue Tit	1 juv	Graiesley Culvert feed by adults
Chaffinch	1 singing	Station Paddock
Bullfinch	2 pair	mid section

The Wetland mallard's have 9 chicks

22nd May 15      morning          mid section

Cloudy,mild , 11-16°c, 1025mb, SW 7-2mph

Much of a muchness today,the only note-worthy news is the Wetland mallard's were found to have 9 chicks. Most birds tend to lay one egg a day and as far as I know this includes ducks, I first found the female on a nest 21st April so she must have just started brooding  ( mallards start brooding when they have laid the last egg ) ,because if they incubate for 28 days on average ( do the maths ) the young should be out & about just about now,so that ok then. 

Don't all dash down with your loaf of bread though,if you must? take mealworms or something more nutritious from the pet shop. Have a good bank holiday weekend.

Mallard	pr + 9 chk	Wetlands
Buzzard	1 over	Barleyfield
Swift	4+ over	Barleyfield
Swallow	1 over	Barleyfield
Wren	11 singing	mid section
Dunnock	1 singing	Hanging Grds
Robin	9 singing	mid section
Blackbird	7 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	1 singing	Hanging Grds
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Barleyfield Annex
Blackcap	9 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	10 singing	mid section
Great Tit	2 singing	mid section
Jackdaw	few	Barleyfield
Chaffinch	6 singing	mid section

All change in the sunshine

21st May 15             morning               mid section

sunny & warm,  11-15°c,  1025mb,  WSW 9 - W 11mph,

No sign of the whinchat, No sign of the grey wagtail and no sign of any whitethroats ( the whitethroats are probably still about,just playing hard to get) ( same goes for the wagtails). On the other hand the sun has encouraged songbirds to sing with blackcap songsters well up, chiffchaff and blackbird not far behind.

Mallard	2♂	Wetlands
Buzzard	pair over	Barleyfield
Swift	2 over	Barleyfield
Wren	13 singing	mid section
Dunnock	3 singing	mid section
Robin	10 singing	mid section
Blackbird	8 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	1 singing	Graisley Cnr
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Barleyfield Annex
Blackcap	13 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	11 singing	mid section
Coal Tit	1	Meadow View
Chaffinch	5 singing	mid section
Bullfinch	calls	Barleyfield Annex

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

Wagtails fledged ( I hope )

19th May 15          mid morning            mid section

frequent showers,  7-11°c,  1001mb,  SW13-W 19mph

The grey wagtail nest is empty and the parents are excitedly collecting food but I couldn't find any youngsters anywhere even though I searched for nearly an hour. The brook is very overgrown for most of its course so its not surprising there hidden away.

                  I thought the garden warbler had gone,having not seen or heard it since last wednesday but it's singing well again today in the usual bushes and trees,suggesting its the same bird.

        Otherwise it was very quiet with not much song. The weather today is the obvious reason. 

Buzzard	1 over	Compton Rough
Great Spotted Woodpecker	1 calling	Hanging Grds
House Martin	2 over	Wetlands
Grey Wagtail	pr excitingly collecting food hopefully to feed their fledged yng  Smestow Br,
Wren	8 singing	mid section
Dunnock	4 singing	mid section
Robin	9 singing	mid section
Blackbird	8 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	1 singing	Hanging Grds
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Barleyfield Annex again,
Blackcap	4 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	7 singing	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	1	Barleyfield Annex
Chaffinch	4 singing	mid section
Bullfinch	1♂	Barleyfield Annex

A run of the mill day

13th May 15           mid morning                mid section

sunny & warm   11-12°c,  1015mb,   N 5-8 mph

Buzzard	1♂ hunting over	Barleyfield,
Moorhen	1	Wetlands
Swift	8 over	mid section
Grey Wagtail	pr feed yng	Smestow Bridge
Wren	11 singing	mid section
Dunnock	5 singing	mid section
Robin	10 singing	mid section
Blackbird	7 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	2 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	1 singing	Shrike Bushes, maybe same? Hanging Grds, ( Ian had one in the Paddocks )
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Annex Barleyfield, ( Ian had 2 earlier )
Blackcap	10 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	7 singing	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	2 family party	Barleyfield
Great Tit	3 singing	mid section
Chaffinch	3 singing	mid section
Goldfinch	2 (1 singing)	Wetlands
Bullfinch	pair	Annex Barleyfield

Spring migration is almost over

12th May 15             early morning                  mid section

mostly cloudy, 8-12°c,  1015mb,  WSW 13-21mph,

The breeding season is now in full swing our birds are busy looking after eggs or young in the nest, what we have now we tend to keep with a few exceptions. Garden warbler is one, for the past few years a garden warbler has sung his heart out for 3-4 weeks, failed to find a mate and departed. If on the other hand we get 24 hrs non stop heavy rain as we did in 2007 at this time of year, we may have what birders call a "fall" as happened on 14 May that year when 24 wheatear, 17 whinchat and various other goodies took refuge in the Valley. The valley's biggest known fall .

              Back to today the ring neck parakeet was the only bird of note.

Sparrowhawk	1♂   flew W	over Compton Rough
Buzzard	1 over	Valley
Moorhen	1	Wetlands
Ring Necked Parakeet	1 flew calling	SE over Barleyfield, later same flew NW over Wetlands,
Swift	4 over	Barleyfield
Grey Wagtail	pair	feeding 4 yng in nest, later  the ♂ Wetlands,
Wren	12 singing	mid section
Dunnock	5 singing	mid section
Robin	12 singing	mid section
Blackbird	4 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	1 singing	Graisley Culvert
Mistle Thrush	1 singing	Meadow View
Whitethroat	1 singing	Hanging Grds
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Barleyfield Annex
Blackcap	7 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	6 singing	mid section
Long Tailed Tit	pair	Barleyfield Annex
Chaffinch	4 singing	mid section
Greenfinch	1 singing	Hanging Grds
Bullfinch	1♂	Station Paddock

Grey Wagtail confusion 

11th May 15              morning               mid section

sunshine & light showers, 12-15°c,  1014mb,  S 11-SW 22mph

Spent most of morning with Ian trying to sort out some confusion with our grey wagtails. Over the last few weeks we have seen 2 different males and 2 different females, the breeding pair at Smestow Br both seem to be 1st year birds but we have also had a different female in this area which we suspect was passing through, and we are picking up a different male at the wetland site, indeed both males were present there today but not at the same time. The Smestow male flew off with a bill full of food towards the Smestow site and a male has departed in the past to the east towards Paget Rd?

Moorhen	1	Wetlands
Swift	2 over	Wetlands
Swallow	1 over	Wetlands
Grey Wagtail	pair	Smestow Bridge, poss 2 different ♂s Wetlands,
Wren	song	mid section
Dunnock	song	mid section
Robin	song	mid section
Blackbird	5 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	2 singing	mid section
Whitethroat	2 singing	Barleyfield
Garden Warbler	1 singing	Annex Barleyfield
Blackcap	7 singing	mid section
Chiffchaff	7 singing	mid section
Chaffinch	3 singing	mid section