Back to winter and snow

16th April 16           morning              mid section

mostly sunny,  3-7°c,  1004 mb,  NNE 9-11 mph

 A cold and slow start to the day, as it warmed up ( a little ) the birds became more active.                               Later another trip just up the road to Pendeford Hall Lane, Coven, where the last few days has been home to a ring ouzel ( a mountain blackbird ) proved bountiful again. Along with the ROuzel was a whinchat, yellow wagtail, 13 white wagtail and 3 wheatear, Also the other end of the lane a green sandpiper and little egret.

Mallard	2♂	Wetlands
Buzzard	1 over	Barleyfield
Moorhen	1 sitting	Wetlands
Stock Dove	1+ singing	Station Paddock
Green Woodpecker	calls	Tettenhall Ridge
Great Spotted Woodpecker	calls	Smestow Bridge
Wren	13 singing	mid section
Dunnock	2 singing	mid section
Robin	5 singing	mid section
Blackbird	5 singing	mid section
Song Thrush	5 singing	mid section
Blackcap	6 (5 singing)	mid section
Chiffchaff	11 singing	mid section
Willow Warbler	1 singing	Station Paddock
Long Tailed Tit	1	Station Paddock
Coal Tit	1	Station Paddock
Great Tit	6 singing	mid section
Chaffinch	3 singing	mid section
Bullfinch	1♂	Hanging Grds

Those beaky boys are back, and the Gareth transfer is complete . . .

Dunstall Park

Summer's over, we're in early September, and things are relatively quiet, with few migrants to report and some wintering species beginning to appear.  The lake is still attracting Green Sandpiper (two were present today, 12/9), single Yellow Wagtail (30/8 and 5/9) have been foraging on the central grass area with good numbers of Pied Wagtail (42 on 5/9), Northern Wheatear have been seen along the grass-sided drainage ditches (Mick from the ground staff saw two on 26/8 and one on 8/90), and the racecourse's second Spotted Flycatcher for the year was present on 11/9 in the north western corner, an area which is attracting small  numbers of  Chiffchaff and Blackcap to banks of elders and bramble, with  Blackbird, Song Thrush and Bullfinch also taking advantage of a bumper berry crop.  Barn Swallow are still present, with late-brood youngsters born in the stables now sitting on the race rails waiting for parents to bring food (ten or more birds were present today, 12/9)  or flying upwards to be fed in mid-air by the adults.  Some House Martin have left, but good numbers still hawk over the lake, where the odd late Common Whitethroat can be seen moving through bushes above the water's edge and single adult and juvenile Grey Heron stand motionless on the island or on the top of the grass banks.  A winter-plumaged Little Grebe was seen briefly on 9/9,  at least ten Coot are still present after their best-ever breeding year at the site, along with three broods of Moorhen, the youngsters varying in age from sooty spindly-legged chicks to adult-size juveniles.  A surprise visitor in the form of a single adult Cormorant has been seen daily at the lake since 5/9 (fourteen  birds flew south westwards over the site on 5/9),  and duck totals have been rising, with up to seven Teal and increasing nubers of Shoveler (17 on 12/9)  feeding and resting as they emerge from eclipse (at least 40 Mallard flew on to the lake to roost at dusk on 20/8).  Lapwing numbers have dropped away, but 15 were at the lake on 28/8,  and single Grey Wagtail have been seen and heard flying to and away from the lake.  And, reappearing after their summer absence, Common Snipe stand and preen almost invisible against the yellow and brown vegetation around the base of the island.  These are some of Dunstall's winter stars, either probing mechanically with their long bills along the margins of the lake or venturing out to forage on the central grass area among flocks of Black-headed Gull (200-plus on 5/9), Lesser Black-backed Gull (50 on 10/9) and Starling (c.100 on 9/9).  Conditons at the lake are now perfect for Snipe, but it remains to be seen whether numbers this coming winter will exceed the astonishing total of  107 birds seen in the lake area on January 8th 2006.  The 16 seen today (12/9) provide a good start.  Elsewhere, a flock of  eleven Mistle Thrush on the central grass on 30/8 show that the species has had a good breeding season following a run of relatively dry and difficult years for thrushes in general.  At least one juvenile Common Buzzard is still present, its by-now ragged parents less frequently in attendance, on 5/9 there was the surprise sight of a male Kestrel perched on a TV tower (a welcome appearance of a species that until 2010 bred annually in the nearby oak copse), and on 20/8 a Tawny Owl called at dusk from the direction of the canal and Aldersley Stadium.

It has been confirmed that Gareth Clements has completed a late-window transfer to the Smestow Valley.  His name in the signing-in book at the racecourse last week brings to an end months of speculation as to whether a deal had been done, but it seems a couple of Double Decker choc bars and a packet of Polos was enough to lure freelance Gareth away from the more remote Black Country fringes and return to where he first cut his teeth as a young birder.  Clayhanger visitors were tight-lipped today, but it's clear they've lost a top man, and they'll be watching to see what he kicks up on his old patch.  No need to kiss the badge, Gareth.  Welcome back. 

(NB.  Dunstall Park is a commercial restricted site.  Access is strictly controlled)


      




       







 






       

News Round Up

Brief Highlights of recent visits to the valley (vis mig info is from top of Barleyfield):

21/8/13 - Calm dry overcast light SW

24 Greenfinch SW
1 Swallow
9 Swift
Collared Dove South
2 Stock Dove Barleyfield
5 Adult and 2 Juv Pied Wagtail Meccano Bridge Playingfields
Nuthatch Graisley Culvert
Willow Warbler singing SW corner Barleyfield
Blackcap fledged at top of Barleyfield, as had Common Whitethroats but apparently left nest site area immediately
31 Jackdaw S. Peters Playingfields

22/8/13 Dry calm morning, light Southerlies

57 Canada Geese SW
14 Greenfinch SW with 6 local birds at top of Barleyfield
FEMALE/JUVENILE REDSTART, seen briefly as it moved up the Western Border of the Barleyfield. It then flew off South over Compton Hill Drive
5+ young Bullfinch Graisley Culvert area
6 Swallow feeding high over the Barleyfield for over half hour in the warm calm conditions
2+ Coal Tit at Prefab Weir
Common Whitethroat calling Graisley Culvert

Painted Lady sunbathing near Compton Lock

29/8/13 Cool calm, dry clear Light SW increasing

89 Canada Geese SW
23 Greenfinch SW
2 Swallow South
3 Swift South plus 1 South over The Paddocks later
2 Starling SW
Adult and Juvenile Nuthatch Western Border of Barleyfield (dispersal birds, since Nuthatch have been scarce/absent in mid-section this Spring and Summer)
3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers around South end of Barleyfield
Female Sparrowhawk over top Barleyfield
3+ Blackcap at The Barleyfield Crossings and 2+ at Hanging Gardens
Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Juvenile Chiffchaff at Graisley Culvert area
3 Chiffchaff singing at The Crossings
1+ Chiffchaff singing 2+ juvenile Blackcap, Juvenile Willow Warbler and Juvenile Common Whitethroat in main Paddock
Chiffchaff singing at Tennis Club
Painted Lady in Canopy near Station
Small Copper near The Crossings

1+ Coal Tit at Compton Lock
Kingfisher off the Brook and over Compton Lock with 2+ Goldcrest nearby.
11 Pied Wagtail, mainly juveniles at Artificial Pitch and track at The Academy

31/8/13 Dry, clear cool Light Westerlies

18 Greenfinch South with 6+ local
1 Swallow South
2 Starling SW
Green Woodpecker
Male Sparrowhawk East over top of Barleyfield
Presumed family group of 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers together just SW of Barleyfield, where feeding trips were recorded earlier in the year, with another female calling at the same time at the top of The Barleyfield
3 Grey Wagtail, at least one of which was a juvenile, dropped into Graisley Culvert then SW.
5+ young Bullfinch and 3+ Juvenile Goldfinch at Graisley Culvert with a Coal Tit calling there and a Collared Dove over East
Devil's Coach Beetle under log on Railway walk by Crossings
2 Chiffchaff singing, 2+ young Blackcap, Common Whitethroat and 2 Jays at Hanging Gardens

1/9/13 Calm, dry, light cloud cover, light SW increasing

28 Lesser Black-backed Gull SW
Grey Wagtail NE just after dawn
Green Woodpecker Western Border
243 Woodpigeon SW, numbers increasing presumably as more fields are harvested in South Staffs. Birds consistently fly West to meet the valley then turn SW down the valley and can be seen doing this as far as the bins allow to the North.
Sub-adult Herring Gull SW
19 Greenfinch South with 6+ local birds
Pipit Species SW
Male and Female Sparrowhawk briefly in the air together over the Western border
Nuthatch calling from Eastern Border
13 Goldfinch, over half of which were juveniles at last!!
10 adult and 14 Juvenile Moorhen on canal
1+ Coal Tit calling at Meccano Bridge and 1+ at The Academy
Wasp nests just South of Meccano Bridge on canal towpath and another opposite Tennis Club
Warblers in Paddock as per Ian Phillips update and Nuthatch calling there
Meadow Pipit lifted off Barleyfield then South West
Coal Tit calling SW corner of Barleyfield
11 House Martin South
16 Pied Wagtail and 14 Starling on Meccano Bridge Playingfields
2 Stock Dove at Compton Park Wetland

Welcome back to Gareth Clements who provided this update:

"5th sept at dunstall park , 6 teal, 8 snipe, skylark, 1 prob white wag, 1 yellow wag , 1 grey wag, 35 pied wag, 3 shoveler, 1 on lake plus 14 sw cormorant, kestrel, 51  lbb gull, 200 bh gull, 1 green sand, otherwise quiet
Gareth and angus"

More Yellow Wagtails, Swifts gather and Warbler Migration Commences

Visible Migration watches from top of Barleyfield:
18/8/13 Dry, clearing, Light Southerlies

19 Greenfinch South
9 House Martin South plus 40+ from the Henwood Road area tracking up and down the valley.
10 Swallows South
9 Swift with c8 local birds around
2 Yellow Wagtail South calling.
2 Pied Wagtail SW
1 Linnet South

Other sightings: Jay, Long-tailed Tits, G S Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker

Compton to Meccano Bridge:
Kingfisher at Compton Lock
Juvenile Grey Wagtail at Prefab Weir
Nuthatch South of Meccano Bridge with 2+ Coal Tit also near the bridge
The Moorhen at Compton Lock actually have 5 not 4 new chicks.

Red Fox day-hunting at Compton Park Wetlands. Mother Mallard spotted it and took the site's first and only remaining youngster to safety in the middle of the pond.

20/8/13 Dry, clearing, calm, Light SW
40 Canada Geese in 3 skeins, surprisingly NE heading back to west Park early.
19 Greenfinch South
12 Swallows South (5 high, early and 7 low later)
An excellent 30+ Swift (20+ over the Paddocks and 8 running up and down from Compton, after heading in from the North)
5 House Martin South
5 Starling SW
4 Pied Wagtail SW

Other sightings:
Grey Heron SW over Barleyfield.
2 Green Woodpecker on Eastern Border and Western Border at same time.
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers at top of Barleyfield
Nuthatch calling from Eastern Border
Coal Tit calling from SW corner of Barleyfield
4 adult and 5 young Bullfinches
2+ Jay Western Border
3 Common Whitethroat Top of Barleyfield with 2 young Blackcap and singing Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. A second Willow Warbler was singing from the Globe Buddleja, indicating migration under way.

Great Minds Think Alike!

To echo Chris's thoughts, Gareth and I held our first VisMig of the season at Castlecroft Bridge on the Staffs & Worcs Canal from 5.40 to 7.40 this morning.

Highlights were a presumed family party of five Tree Sparrow flying down the valley and a Yellow Wagtail heading southeastwards. More surprising, however, was the total count of 61 Linnet heading westwards in small groups - where had they all come from?

Other counts included 365 Wood Pigeon mostly heading southwards/westwards, 217 Starling flying down the valley and 143 going towards the city centre, 39 Pied Wagtail, 18 Greenfinch and ten Chaffinch mostly flying westwards, and eight Swallow going southwards.

Other sightings included two Raven flying southwards, single Little Owl in trees by Pool Hall Lane and Kingfisher along the Smestow Brook, at least three Grey Wagtail flying along the valley and Buzzard, Red-legged Partridge and Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers in adjacent fields.

Vis-migs Under Way

Saturday 17th August 2013
Overcast, dry at first then showers from 07:40. Light Southerlies, increasing.
Vis-mig from top of Barleyfield, then quick tour of Compton to Newbridge.

On Thursday I had seen 10 Swift, briefly join 12+ House Martin over Compton Park Wetlands, before continuing South and this convinced me to start Autumn "Visible Migration" watches from the top of the Barleyfield.

Today was quite a productive start:
26 Black-headed Gulls SW with another 72 resting at the entrance to The Academy
20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls SW
3 Stock Doves NE/East
181 Woodpigeon SW to feeding grounds
17 Swift South with 6 lingering around the Western Border
3 Swallow South
19 House Martin (7 South with apparently 12+ from the Hordern Road area, hawking over Compton Park Wetlands)
1 Yellow Wagtail - calling as it flew with a House Martin as an odd travelling companion
16 Starling SW to feeding areas
19 Greenfinch South - there has to be a roost at the North end somewhere?

Other highlights of the morning were:
female Sparrowhawk West over Barleyfield
Kingfisher on the Brook by Prefab Weir
2 Green Woodpecker at The Barleyfield and East of The Tennis Club
3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers a male and female in the SW corner of The Barleyfield and another on the Eastern Border
Male Pied Wagtail at the Academy entrance
Coal Tit at Newbridge
Nuthatch - not often we hear them calling from The Eastern Border
The Academy family of 5 Carrion Crow along the Western Border
No Goldfinch!!! (only 2 over the top of the field).

Red Foxes - adults at Waterdale and near St. Edmunds School

Also Nick Constable, a local resident and fisherman gained bragging rights as he showed me a shot of a 1 pound Rudd that he recently pulled out the canal. It was great to receive his report of two recent Water Vole sightings between Meccano Bridge and Compton Lock, close to where Ian Phillips had a sighting earlier in the year.

Total Bird species: 39

Sightings Update and Advisory Group Meeting

Apologies for my absence on the blog. Work and home commitments are still quite heavy.

Firstly brief high-lights of the few visits I have made to the valley so far this month:

Sunday 7th July 2013

Yellow Wagtail - seen lifting off the new wetland at Compton at 09:00 and calling as it headed off to the NE.

Hummingbird Hawk Moth - a species that is expanding it's range North as a result of climate change. This individual was darting with audible wing-beats between emerging Willow Herb flowers by the canal at between Compton Lock and Prefab Weir. The abdomen pattern showed surprisingly well in flight and its speed was certainly up there with that of dragonflies. It eventually shot off North along the canal.

Coal Tit - family party again seen near Compton Lock.

100's of Garden Chafer beetles flying around the Barleyfield. plus a lot of Ringlet butterflies and Red-tailed Bumble-bees.

3 Buzzard soaring over Tettenhall Ridge.

First 2 returning adult Black-headed Gulls at Compton Park.

Late P.M: Silver Ground Carpet Moth (Xanthothoe montanata) - Compton Rough.

Sunday 14th July 2013

Black-headed Gull - 16 adults at St. Peter's Playing Fields and 27 Adults at the entrance to the Academy at Compton Park.

Swift - good to see 17+ at Newbridge, South of Tettenhall Road. Also a Collared Dove over and a Nuthatch calling near the station, the latter appearing scarcer this year.

Goldfinch - the Thistle parties have started!!! With 4 at the North end of the Barleyfield.

Common Whitethroat - a bit late for breeding but this male has appeared at
Compton Rough and seems to be holding a territory between Compton Lock and Prefab Weir

Insect Life:

Flesh Fly (Sarcophaga carnaria) - attracted to carrion and carcasses.
The female gives birth to live young

Greenbottle (Lucilia caesar) - larvae found in rotting carcasses and sometimes
 attracted to open wounds, making it another of Nature's "cleaners"

Hover-fly (Helophilus pendulus) - sunbathing. These favor wet wooded habitats
 and the males are often seen hovering over water. Their larvae live in stagnant water.

Hover-fly (Syrphus ribesii) - our commonest hover-fly.
These have multiple broods and are a gardeners friend, since their larvae feed on
aphids (Greenfly, Blackfly and Whitefly)

There are 25,000 species of Longhorn Beetle!!!! This one looked like Leptura rubra
 but lacked the yellow lower legs???

Another puzzle!! There are over 500 species of Sawfly in Britain. I have narrowed this one down to one of three species. When I get more time next Month I shall study the pics to see whether it was Tenthredo notha, Tenthredo arcuata or Tenthredo brevicornis. Although this individual is enjoying pollen, it will take small insects and is probably  reliant on clover species for it's larvae to feed on, which the Barleyfield provides- thanks to good management:

OTHER NEWS

Another positive Advisory Group meeting, with so many caring individuals in attendance.

As promised Wolverhampton City Council and Ranger Service will be providing this blog with updates as to any work planned in the valley, in advance of it's commencement. Thank you.

Also, Wolverhampton City Council have offered to work with this blog in order to provide information to local residents and schools, regarding the natural assets of the valley, and also to publicize local events that are organised by the many groups and associations that exist along the valley.

On a negative note, since attending the meeting, I have had a lot of concerned people contacting me with regard to proposals for development of "The Cedars" site at Compton Road.

At the start of August I shall be obtaining more detailed information, including any consultation processes that are planned. I shall provide updates in due course. To this end thank you to the growing number of local residents who enjoy and contribute to this blog and to the protection of the Valley and it's borders.