Lutley Wedge 28/12/11 12.00pm (7°c) Cool and breezy.

'Red-listed local patch mega!'

(3) Marsh Tits Lutley Wedge (CR).

The first confirmed record of Marsh Tit at Lutley Wedge was as recently as 16/3/11, followed by (1) on 27/12/11 (both SLC).

Marsh Tit sadly has become a very rare species within the West Midlands, and is now a Category A description species with only a handful of records most years from the county. At a UK level the picture is not any better and it is on the Red-list as a species of conservation concern due to more than a 50% decline in numbers in the last 25 years. This makes the monitoring of this very small and surely vulnerable population of Marsh Tits 'clinging on' here at Lutley even more important in my view.

Marsh Tit 28/12/11 sound recordings/sonograms 

Lutley Wedge 24/12/12 12.00pm (5°c) Cool and overcast.

A Woodcock was at Wassell Grove Pools this afternoon, also 20+ Siskin and 1 Lesser Redpoll feeding in the Alders, 10 Fieldfare, 10+ Redwing and a Kingfisher.

Lutley Wedge 20/12/12 1.55pm (5°c) Cold, overcast.

22 Siskin and 1 Lesser Redpoll were at Wassell Grove Pools, also 21 Redwing, 1 Fieldfare and a flock of 9 Bullfinch. 5 Redwing around Grange Farm and a flock of 27 Skylarks over the Top Footpath.

Lutley Wedge 02/12/11 12.30pm (4°c) Overcast with occasional bright spells.

'Over-winterers settle in'

Wassell Grove Pools:-

130+ Redwing

5+ Fieldfare

40+ Siskin

1 Redpoll sp

10 Goldfinch

1 Goldcrest

♂ Siskin 2/12/11

Titterstone Clee Hill, Shropshire 28/11/11

Majorly 'off patch' today, and a visit to pay homage to the superb ♀ Desert Wheatear on Titterstone Clee Hill, the first for Shropshire.

Desert Wheatear habitat! Titterstone Clee Hill (The bird was favouring the particularly grim area towards the bottom right of the photo)

♀ Desert Wheatear 28/11/11 

Lutley Wedge 18/11/11 1.30pm (13°c) Mild and cloudy. Wind (S) F3

'Mid-November, winter doldrums'

Other than reasonable numbers of Redwing it was pretty quiet during a quick check of Wassell Grove Pools this afternoon, which is perhaps not surprising given the current incredibly mild weather and late November date.

60+ Redwing

1 Siskin

2 Goldcrest

Siskin 18/11/11  

Lutley Wedge 29/10/11 08.00am (7°c) Cool, cloudy. Wind increasing (S) F2/3

'Migration status quo'

Visible Migration:-

1 Brambling

101 Fieldfare (87➝S/SW) (1➝W) (13 in)

85 Redwing (64➝S/SW) (21➝W/SW)

14 Siskin (12➝S) 

2 Redpoll sp (1➝N) (1➝S)

14 Chaffinch➝W

107 Starling➝W

716 Wood Pigeon➝S/SW

1 Cormorant➝S/SE

1 Raven ➝NW

Fieldfare and Cormorant 29/10/11

Lutley Wedge 26/10/11 08.00am (5°c) Cool, clear skies and patchy high cloud (S/SE) F2

'The late late show!'

(1) House Martin flew over the Top Footpath/Grange Farm (a new latest date for Lutley Wedge, the previous latest date was way back on 23/10/2006).  Thrush numbers were down but there was a notable movement of Meadow Pipit, with (38) heading South, a good count for late October.

Visible migration:-

1 House Martin➝S/SE

46 Meadow Pipit (38➝S)

49 Redwing (45➝S/SW) (4➝E)

29 Fieldfare (25➝S/SW) (4➝SE)

4 Song Thrush (2➝W/SW) (2 in)

5 alba Wagtail➝S

129 Starling➝W/SW

2 Bullfinch➝S

3 Siskin (2➝S/SE)

10 Redpoll sp➝S/SE

House Martin 26/10/11 

(The latest date for House Martin at Lutley Wedge in 16 years of recording!)

Redwing and Meadow Pipit 26/10/11

Lutley Wedge 24/10/11 07.55am (12°c) Cloudy and windy (SE) F3/4

'Starlings Surge'

A virtually finch free morning in a strong SE wind other than a few Siskin and Redpoll moving though Woodpig's ploughed on regardless, most contouring low and S/SW and there was a slight upturn in numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare moving. Starlings were the big movers however with packs flying through from first light heading through low across the wind followed by some large high flocks later coming in from the E/NE.

Visible Migration:-

1,045 Starling ➝W (largest flock 180)

173 Redwing (141➝S/SW) (largest flock 26)

88 Fieldfare (77➝S/SW) (10➝W) (1 in) (largest flock 38)

518 Wood Pigeon➝S/SW

7 Siskin (6➝SW) (1➝W)

5 Redpoll sp➝S

3 alba Wagtail➝S

A fiery rise into obscurity! 24/10/11

Redwing 24/10/11

Early Starling 'packs' low, to a high wave of Sturnus! 24/10/11

Lutley Wedge 21/10/11 07.50am (8°c) Cool, cloudy overcast. Wind (SW) F2/3

A Rock Pipit flew over heading West at 11.00am (the first record at Lutley Wedge),  otherwise it was fairly quiet but with a trickle of Chaffinches flying over throughout, and including at least one Brambling heard early on. Cormorants were the other notable mover today with 5 flying through, along with a single Common Gull.

Visible Migration :-

1 Rock Pipit ➝W

103 Redwing (49➝S/SW) (5➝SE) (31➝W) (16➝N/NW) 

25 Fieldfare(9➝W/SW) (16➝S)

1 Brambling➝W

133 Chaffinch➝W

9 Siskin (4➝S/SE) (2➝E) (3➝N)

14 Meadow Pipit (8➝W/SW) (6 in)

2 alba Wagtail➝S (+25 Pied Wagtail in horse paddocks)

36 Goldfinch (28➝S)

31 Starling➝W (+125 Grange Barns) 

1 Common Gull➝SW

1 Herring Gull➝NW

5 Cormorant➝N/NE

Skies on fire! A stunning sunrise this morning 21/10/11

Fieldfare, Redwing and carbo's! 21/10/11

Lutley Wedge 16/10/11 07.30am-11.30am (11°c) Cool, cloudy with patchy low cloud and light rain/drizzle Wind (SW) F2/3

With the wind switching around to the SW and the bird rich easterlies disappearing as quickly as they arrived, it was a much quieter day today. Vis mig was not helped by low cloud closing in rapidly this morning followed by patchy light rain and drizzle. Migrant Thrush numbers are seemingly falling rapidly as migration tails off though 4 Brambling were seen with a ♂ dropping in along the Top Footpath, and another ♀/1st winter in a garden along Lutley Brook (P.Clement),  2 Common Snipe flew high West at 10.45am.

Visible Migration:-

2 Common Snipe➝W

4 Brambling (1➝W) (1➝N) (2 in)

357 Redwing (247➝S/SW) (77➝W) (4➝N) (9➝E/NE) (20 in) 

61 Fieldfare (27➝S/SW) (7➝W) (2➝E) (25 in)

9 Song Thrush (6➝S/SW) (1➝W) (2➝W in)

3 Blackbird➝W/SW

9 Thrush sp➝SW

14 Meadow Pipit (7➝S/SW) (7 in)

26 alba Wagtail (19➝S) (1➝W) (6 in)

100 Starling➝W

3 Redpoll sp (2➝SW)

11 Siskin (5➝S/SW) (4➝N) (1➝E) (1 in)

25 Goldfinch➝S

31 Chaffinch➝W

1 Red Admiral➝E/SE

First light 16/10/11

A brilliant sunrise through the fractus and the first 'Woodpigs' and Starling packs on the move. 

Song Thrush 'dropping out' 16/10/11

Lutley Wedge 14/10/11 07.20am-11.50am (12°c) Cool, grey and overcast skies (clearing to the W/NW later). Wind (E/SE) F2/3

After yesterdays big Thrush arrival, there were signs of heavy nocturnal migration last night with many calls of Redwing and also Song Thrush heard. On the patch Redwing and Fieldfare were moving through in numbers again this morning and also a few continental Blackbird and Song Thrush, the first Brambling this autumn flew over and there was some Westerly Starling and Skylark passage. A single Goosander flew through very high to the East at 08.10am and a couple of late Swallow were seen heading South.

Visible Migration:-

1 Goosander ➝E/SE

1 Lapwing ➝SW

2 Swallow ➝S

790 Redwing ➝S/SW (largest flocks of 40)

610 Fieldfare ➝S/SW (largest flocks 82, 85)

18 Song Thrush (16➝S/SW) (2➝SE)

4 Blackbird (3➝S) (1 in)

5 Brambling (2➝NW) (1➝W) (2 heard)

15 Chaffinch ➝W 

21 Redpoll sp (7➝W) (8➝S/SE) (2➝N) (1➝E) (3 in)

15 Siskin (14➝S/SE) (1➝N)

14 Goldfinch ➝S

264 Starling➝W/SW

15 Meadow Pipit (10 in) (3➝E) (2➝SW)

16 alba Wagtail ➝S

40 Skylark ➝W/SW

Dawn and a fiery sunrise under heavily overcast skies 14/10/11

High level 'Goose' heading East 14/10/11

High and low level 'Thrushage' 14/10/11

Some of the masses today! Fieldfare and Song Thrush 14/10/11

Lutley Wedge 13/10/11 07.00am-12.00pm (13°c) Mild, broken cloud overhead but surrounding low cloud.. Wind (E/SE) F1/2

For days the forecast/weather charts had looked epic, especially after a seemingly endless run this autumn of low pressure and Westerlies. A high pressure system finally moved East into Scandanavia and the Continent overnight, and today the Easterlies duly delivered.

There was a big arrival of Thrushes with a lot of flocks coming through very high in the still conditions and as the cloud base lifted, (14) Crossbill, and the first Snipe and Stonechat on the patch this Autumn. A good arrival but Thrushes were perhaps not in the hoped for numbers, possibly due to the fact that even though there was a window of broken skies overhead first thing, the surrounding low cloud, poor vis and general 'clag' seemed to supress a lot of migration further out early on.

As it warmed up and the cloud lifted a couple of Red Admiral were also seen actively migrating with one picked out circling up to a hundred feet or so before heading off SW, the other more typically tazzing through SW at knee top level! (N.b 3 Red Admiral also seen heading SW at Black Bank, Staffs today)

Visible Migration :-

1 Common Snipe ➝W (then dropped in)

1♂ Stonechat

14 Crossbill ➝S

560 Redwing ➝S/SW

250 Fieldfare ➝S/SW

6 Song Thrush (2➝N) (1➝SW) (1➝E) (2 in)

41 Meadow Pipit (36➝S/SW)

22 alba Wagtail ➝S/SW

9 Swallow ➝S

20 Siskin (8➝N) (11➝S/SW/SE)

6 Goldfinch ➝S

1 Redpoll sp ➝E

7 Bullfinch (5➝SE) (2➝N)

1 Raven ➝E/SE

1 Grey Heron ➝SW

3 Herring Gull (2➝W) (1➝N)

2 Red Admiral ➝SW

Pre-dawn, first light and broken skies above, but surrounding ominous clag!

13/10/11 Some of today's visible migrants, Redwing, Fieldfare, Siskin and Red Admiral! 

Stonechat 13/10/11

Lutley Wedge 03/10/11 07.20am-09.50am (16°c) Mild and overcast. Wind (S/SW) F2/3

Meadow Pipits and alba Wagtails were again the main movers this morning. Siskin numbers have dropped off dramatically in the last few days, but there were the first signs of some East➝West Chaffinch passage with small numbers flying through high. 
Visible migration:-
1 Swallow ➝S
214 Meadow Pipit ➝S/SW  largest flocks of (20) (14) (11) (10)+(10)
53 alba Wagtails ➝S  largest flock of (12)+(10)
3 Song Thrush (1 in)
5 Siskin (3➝S/SW) (2➝W)
47 Goldfinch (28➝S)
15 Chaffinch ➝W
35 Canada Geese (20➝SE) (15➝W)

'The sweet sound of vis mig!' Meadow Pipit (flight call and sonogram) 3/10/11

Lutley Wedge 02/10/11 07.20am-10.20am (15°c) Warm and sunny, patchy high cloud. Wind (S/SW) F1-3

A juvenile Peregrine flew through heading West at 10.10am (the first this autumn). Again vis mig was pretty slow first thing other than a trickle of mainly alba Wagtails going over, however a pulse of Mipits got going from about 8.40am, with most groups passing very high overhead into the light headwind. 

Visible Migration:-

1 Peregrine ➝W

184 Meadow Pipit ➝S (including flocks of 17, 15, 12 and 10)

46 alba Wagtail ➝S

18 Swallow ➝S

7 Siskin ➝S

4 Redpoll (3➝SW) (1➝SE)

49 Goldfinch ➝S

1 Reed Bunting ➝W

4 Canada Geese ➝W

1 Chiffchaff

Lutley Wedge 01/10/11 07.20am-10.00am (14°c/27°c) Warm and sunny, patchy high cloud. Wind (NE/SSE) F1-2

Visible migration:-

81 Meadow Pipit ➝S/SW

48 alba Wagtail ➝S

11 Swallow ➝S

17 House Martin ➝S

12 Siskin (10➝S) (2 in)

25 Goldfinch ➝S

6 Chaffinch (3➝S) (3➝W)

1 Reed Bunting ➝W

2 Song Thrush ➝W/SW (in)

2 Chiffchaff

2 Red Admiral ➝S/SW

Sunrise, high cloud and contrails looking East 1/10/11

Mipits, alba's and Swallows 1/10/11

Lutley Wedge 28/09/11 07.20am (13°c/26°c) Warm, sunny clear skies. Wind (S/SE) F1-3

Tough conditions for viewing any vis mig this morning due to the current high pressure and gin-clear skies.  Most passage was occurring very high, and i probably missed more than i saw. Alba wagtails and Mipits were again on the move in reasonable numbers, but often visible as just dots overhead and the first Reed Buntings of the autumn flew through.

Visible migration :-

200 Meadow pipit ➝S/SW

45 alba Wagtail ➝S/SW/SE

114 Swallow ➝S/SW

62 House Martin ➝S/SW

1 Song Thrush (in)

20 Siskin (19➝S/SW) (1➝E)

3 Redpoll sp (1➝S)

2 Reed Bunting ➝W

1 Raven

5 Chiffchaff

3 Blackcap

2 Red Admiral

Lutley Wedge 26/09/11 07.15am (12°c) Cloudy/overcast (Warm & sunny/patchy cloud later am) Wind (S/SW) F2

After a very slow start first thing, Meadow Pipits got moving in good numbers from late morning with a constant passage of birds going through until at least early afternoon. A Wheatear 'dropped out' into the ploughed field at Grange Barns at 09.00am and a Spotted Flycatcher was in the hedgerow at Foxcote Pond (a new latest date at Lutley). Whilst watching the Flycatcher a flock of (7) Crossbill flew over, and there was an noticeable increase in Siskin moving.  

Visible Migration:-

1 Spotted Flycatcher

1 Wheatear

7 Crossbill ➝S/SW

382 Meadow Pipit ➝S/SW

113 Swallow ➝S/SW

3 Chiffchaff

6 alba Wagtail ➝S/SW

71 Siskin (54➝S/SW) (14➝N)

7 Redpoll sp (6➝SW) (1➝SE)

21 Goldfinch ➝N

2 Cormorant ➝S

3 Grey Heron ➝W/SW

2 Raven ➝S

4 Red Admiral (1➝SW)

Spotted Flycatcher and Wheatear 26/9/11

Siskin and Meadow Pipits 26/9/11

Lutley Wedge 24/09/11 07.15am (11°c) Cloudy, overcast with patchy low cloud. Wind (S) F2/3

The patchy low cloud and overcast conditions first thing, combined with a stiff Southerly wind definitely suppressed a lot of migration with much smaller numbers of Mipits struggling through than yesterday. The numbers of Siskin moving increased though with the largest flock so far this autumn (13) flying through.

Visible Migration:-

123 Meadow Pipit ➝S/SW

75 Swallow ➝S/SW

33 House Martin ➝S/SW

17 alba Wagtail ➝S/SW

1 Grey Wagtail ➝W

25 Siskin (23➝S/SW) (2➝E)

1 Redpoll sp ➝N

11 Chaffinch ➝S/SW

1 Raven ➝NE

Swalllows 24/9/11

Lutley Wedge 23/09/11 07.15am (9°c) Cloudy (SW) F3

A surge of Meadow Pipits today with a constant passage of small flocks from first light finally tailing off late morning. At least (561) flew through to the S/SW in 3.5 hours this morning, the 2nd highest ever day count at Lutley Wedge since (620) on 16/9/10. Also the first Golden Plover this autumn flew over at 08.18am heading SW.

Visible migration :-

1 Golden Plover ➝SW

561 Meadow Pipit ➝S/W

51 Swallow ➝S

102 House Martin ➝S/SW

5 Redpoll sp ➝S

7 Siskin (4➝S) (2➝N) (1➝W)

3 Goldfinch ➝S

8 alba Wagtail (6➝S/SE)

1 Herring Gull ➝W

also:-

3 Chiffchaff

1 Blackcap

1 Goldcrest

Some of the 100's! 'Mipit montage' and Golden Plover 23/9/11

Lutley Wedge 22/09/11 07.00am (9°c) Cool & sunny, clear skies/patchy cloud (W/SW) breeze F2/3

A steady movement of Meadow Pipits, House Martins and Swallows from first light, and (1) Wheatear 'dropped out' onto the power line above my 'vis mig' watchpoint at 08.10am.

Visible Migration:-

1 Wheatear (in)

128+ Meadow Pipit  (117➝S/SW) (11+ in) 

65 House Martin ➝S/SW

36+ Swallow ➝S/SW

5+ alba Wagtail ➝SE/S/SW

6 Siskin (4➝SE)

24 Goldfinch ➝S

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker ➝SSW 

3+ Chiffchaff

1 Blackcap

Meadow Pipit 22/9/11

Wheatear 22/9/11

Lutley Wedge 01/09/11 07.15am (9°c) Sunny, clear skies. Still at first then E/SE F1/2

2 Hobbies were seen along with a single Tree Pipit that flew over late morning, also at least 2 Yellow Wagtails flew over and several late Swift.

2 Hobby (1➝E) (1 over Wassell Grove Pools)

1 Tree Pipit ➝SSE

2 Yellow Wagtail

2 Meadow pipit (1➝SW)

10+ Swift

42+ House Martin

17+ Swallow

2 Common Whitethroat

3+ Blackcap

1 Chiffchaff

1 Red Admiral ➝SW

Hobby Wassell Grove Pools 1/9/11

Swift and Tree Pipit 1/9/11