22/04/11 Lutley Wedge

Quieter today with the first Sedge Warbler of the spring on the patch this morning at Wassell Grove Pools, and a single Wheatear of note.
1♀ Wheatear near Foxcote House Farm (SLC)
3 Lapwing ➝West (SLC)
1 Sedge Warbler (SLC)

Lutley Wedge 21/04/11

Another superb ♂ Whinchat was near Wassell Grove Pools this morning with 4 Wheatears, and 1 Yellow Wagtail flew over, and another 4 Wheatears were near Foxcote House Farm.  

1 Whinchat (SLC)

8 Wheatear (SLC)

1 Yellow Wagtail (SLC)

♂ Whinchat Wassell Grove/Pools 21/4/11

Lutley Wedge 20/04/11

The first Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler this year were seen today.
(All sightings SLC..)
5 Wheatear (Top Footpath/near Foxcote House Farm)
2 Yellow Wagtail (1➝E over Top Footpath)
1 Lesser Whitethroat (♂ singing near Wassell Grove Pools)
1 Garden Warbler (♂ singing at Wassell Grove Pools)
4 Sand Martin ➝N

Lutley Wedge 19/04/11 07.10am (7°c) Sunny, clear skies. Cool breeze (NE) F2

An excellent fall of migrants today, again in largely fine settled and cloudless conditions. At least 21 Wheatears (13♀8♂) were grounded around the Wassell Grove Pools/Foxcote House Farm area along with a ♀ Redstart and a ♀ Yellow Wagtail.

21 Wheatear

2 Yellow Wagtail (1➝N)

1 Redstart

3 Sand Martin (1➝N) (2➝E/NE)

2 House Martin (1➝N)

12 Swallow (9➝N)

4 Common Whitethroat

1 Willow Warbler

3 Chiffchaff 

♀ 'flavissima' Yellow Wagtail and ♀ Wheatear (Wassell Grove Pools 19/4/11)

House Martin (Wassell Grove Pools 19/4/11)

Lutley Wedge 18/04/11 07.40am (8°c) Sunny & warm, clear skies. Wind light (E➝SE) F2

With high pressure and fine settled weather still covering much of the U.K and continental Europe, spring migration continues apace. Perhaps an indication of the volume of birds that must be passing over at the moment was that another (8♂2♀) Wheatears were grounded again at Lutley this morning even though the normal weather conditions for a fall of migrants i.e cloud cover and/or rain, were non existent. Presumably in the favourable migration conditions migrants are mostly over-flying the coast and pushing on to make first landfall much further inland.

10 Wheatear (3♂1♀) Top Footpath, (5♂1♀) Wassell Grove Pools/Foxcote House Farm)

3 Swallow

6+ Blackcap

2 Willow Warbler

6 Common Whitethroat

9+ Chiffchaff

2 Redpoll sp ➝NW

♂ Wheatear Wassell Grove 18/4/11

Lutley Wedge 17/04/11 07.40am (8°c) Sunny & warm, clear skies. Wind light (N➝NE) F1

Back on the local patch today and a superb fall of migrant chats this morning with a stunning ♂ Whinchat near Foxcote House Farm (the first on the patch this spring) and (4♂ 6♀) Wheatears, grounded first thing. The Whinchat and 6 of the Wheatear were still present in the early afternoon, feeding in horse paddocks though the other Wheatears seemed to have moved through very quickly in the fine weather conditions this morning.

Other highlights included a reeling ♂ Grasshopper Warbler, and single flyover Tree Pipit and Yellow Wagtail.

1 Whinchat

10 Wheatear

1 Grasshopper Warbler

1 Tree Pipit

1 Yellow wagtail

3 Common Whitethroat

2 Willow Warbler

6+ Chiffchaff

5+ Blackcap

4 House Martin

5+ Swallow

4+ Brambling (Lutley Brook) (SLC)

♂ Whinchat Lutley Wedge 17/4/11

♂♀ Wheatears Wassell Grove 17/4/11

Lutley Wedge 16/04/11

2 Wheatear (Wassell Grove Pools track) (SLC)
3 Sand Martin ➝N (SLC)

Lutley Wedge 15/04/11

1♀ Redstart (Wassell Grove Pools) (SLC)
2♂1♀ Wheatear (near Foxcote House Farm) (TH)

Lutley Wedge 14/04/11

2♂ Wheatear  (1 Wassell Grove, 1 near Foxcote House Farm) (SLC)
1♂ Brambling (Lutley Brook) (SLC)
4♂ Common Whitethroat (SLC)
4 House Martin (SLC)
1 Willow Warbler (SLC)
2 Swallow (1➝N) (SLC)

Lutley Wedge 13/04/11

1♂1♀ Tufted Duck at Wassell Grove Pools (SLC)

Lutley Wedge 12/04/11

1♂ Wheatear (Top Footpath) (SLC)
2 Common Whitethroat (SLC)

Lutley Wedge 11/04/11

1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling near Foxcote Pond (SLC)
1 Tree Pipit flew ➝North over Top Footpath (SLC)
1 ♂ Common Whitethroat Top Footpath (SLC)
2 Sand Martins ➝North (SLC)
7/8 Wheatear (SLC)

Lutley Wedge 10/04/11

7 Wheatear (6 Top Footpath, 1 near Foxcote House Farm) (SLC) 

1 Yellow Wagtail flew ➝West over Top Footpath (SLC)

Lutley Wedge 09/04/11

Another fall of (6) Wheatears, with (1)♂ along Top Footpath early a.m and a further (5) including at least  2♂ near Foxcote House Farm (SLC).

Also seen:-

(2) Willow Warbler (SLC)

(1) Sand Martin ➝N (SLC)

(2) Fieldfare ➝N (SLC)

Lutley Wedge 08/04/11 11.00am (14°c) Warm & sunny, clear skies after early mist. Light NW breeze.

5 Willow Warblers singing at various spots around the patch today. 

5 Sand Martin flew ➝N over the Top Footpath (SLC)

6 Swallows

3 Redpoll sp ➝N

7 Blackcap

9 Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler Lutley Wedge 8/4/11

Lutley Wedge 07/04/11 08.00am (9°c) Warm & sunny/scattered cloud, (clouded over later a.m). Wind (SW)➝(W) F2

The first Willow Warbler this year was singing along Lutley Brook (SLC).

Visible Migration Wassell Grove Pools :-

1 Cormorant ➝N

7 Sand Martin (5➝N) (2➝SE)

6 Swallow (4➝N/NW)

51 Meadow Pipit  ➝N

1 Siskin ➝NW

4 Brambling (2➝NE) (1➝WSW) (1 in)

Also seen :- 1 Fieldfare, 3 Blackcap 

Cormorant 7/4/11

Lutley Wedge 06/04/11 08.00am (12°c) Grey and overcast/patchy mist and low cloud clearing to warm sun. Breezy (SW) F3

Visible migration this morning included increasing numbers of Swallows moving through at Wassell Grove Pools, and the recent good run of Sand Martin sightings continued with 9 flying over. Elsewhere (1)♀ Wheatear was along the Top Footpath early morning (SLC), before flying off high ➝WSW at 11.55am. Probably the same ♀ Wheatear was then relocated in a horse paddock near Foxcote House Farm late evening.

Visible Migration/migrant totals:-

1 Wheatear 

12 Swallow (10➝N)

9 Sand Martin (2➝S/SW) (4➝WSW) (3➝N/NW) 

33 Meadow Pipit (32➝N) (1➝S)

2 Redpoll sp ➝W

6+ Chiffchaff

5 Blackcap

Sand Martin Wassell Grove Pools 6/4/11

♀ Wheatear 6/4/11

(in flight Wheatears show a characteristic long-winged/short-tailed outline, useful for picking out high flying migrants)

Lutley Wedge 05/04/11 10.50am (12°c) Cool grey and cloudy, rain showers. Windy (SW) F3/4

With heavily overcast skies and rain showers (1)♀Wheatear was grounded late morning near Foxcote House Farm. 

also seen :-

6 Swallow

1 Fieldfare

1 Blackcap 

2+ Chiffchaff

♀ Wheatear 5/4/11

Lutley Wedge 04/04/11 07.50am (5°c) Cool and bright, broken high cloud (clouded over from west later a.m) Wind (SW) F3

Much quieter migration wise today in the windy, cool and cloudy conditions. There was hardly any vis mig this morning though the first (2) House Martins of the year flew over, and were the earliest ever arrival here since way back on 9/4/96!

2 House Martin (1➝WNW) (1➝NW)

1 Sand Martin ➝N

1 Swallow

6 Chiffchaff

1 Blackcap

3 Brambling (1➝NW) (1 Wassell Grove Pools) (1 Wassell Grove Business Centre)

1 Fieldfare

1 Lapwing ➝WNW

1 Meadow Pipit ➝N

House Martin Wassell Grove Pools 4/4/11

Lutley Wedge 03/04/11 07.40am (6°c) Cool and Sunny, patchy cloud and mist. Wind S➝SW F2

'Black Red on the heap!'

The best day of the spring so far. The highlight was a superb ♀/1st yr ♂ Black Redstart i found feeding around a manure heap along the Top Footpath, and also ranging over to the nearby horse paddocks. (This is my 2nd record Black Redstart for the local patch with the first also found along the Top Footpath on 7/4/09). 

There was also an excellent fall of (7)♂(5)♀ Wheatears scattered around the patch, whilst visible migration included a very early Hobby which flew north at Wassell Grove pools at 08.38am, (a new earliest arrival date on the patch).

Supporting cast included a 'patch year tick' Reed Bunting at Wassell Grove Pools.

1 Black Redstart

1 Hobby ➝N

12 Wheatear

3 Sand Martin ➝NW

6 Swallow (5 ➝NW)

6 Brambling ➝N

8 Redpoll sp ➝N/NW

7 Fieldfare (4➝E) (2➝N) (1 in)

40+ Meadow Pipit (33➝N)

Black Redstart Lutley Wedge 3/4/11 

Wheatear 3/4/11

Lutley Wedge 02/04/11 08.00am (13°c) Grey and overcast, light rain showers clearing to sun/scattered cloud later. Wind (S)➝(SW) F3/4

Highlight today was a fall of (4)♂(2)♀ Wheatears, and with heavily overcast skies early on there were also signs of some wader passage with (8) Golden Plover and a single Lapwing flying through at Wassell Grove Pools. Other visible migrants included (10) Sand Martin and departing winter visitors with (5) Brambling and (29) Fieldfare.

6 Wheatear

10 Sand Martin (5➝ESE) (5➝SSW)

1 Swallow

4  Chiffchaff

1 Blackcap

43 Meadow Pipit ➝N

5 Brambling (2➝SE) (3➝ENE)

6 Siskin (2➝N) (4➝SW)

29 Fieldfare (4➝E) (25➝SE)

8 Golden Plover (7➝NW) (1➝E)

1 Lapwing ➝NW

Wheatears Lutley Wedge 2/4/11

Golden Plover heading ➝NW Wassell Grove Pools 2/4/11

Lutley Wedge 01/04/11 08.10am (11°c) Grey and overcast. Windy (SW) F4

A new month, but with the current unsettled and windy conditions the migration hiatus on the patch continues. Very quiet this morning with visible migration down to a trickle as a few high altitude Meadow Pipits struggled through heading north, and a single Swallow flew over the Top Footpath. 
1 Swallow ➝NW (S.L.C)
20 Meadow Pipit ➝N/NW
3 Chiffchaff
1 Blackcap