Sunday 3 April 2011

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

1 comment:

Jason K said...

Nice one on the Black Redstart. What an excellent day you had on your patch. Its days like this that make the numerous days with next to nothing worthwhile!