Lutley Wedge 27/10/12 (-0.6°c) (-4°c windchill) Cold, clear and frosty. Wind N/NW F2

"Woodpigs on the move in a big way" 

Visible migration :-
4200+ Wood Pigeon ➝S/SW
290 Redwing (196➝W/SW) (54 in) (20➝E/SE) (13➝N/NW) 
77 Fieldfare (60➝W) (10➝SW) (7➝N)
1 Song Thrush
1 Redpoll sp➝SW
1 Siskin➝S
4 Meadow Pipit (3➝SW)
34 Starling➝W
2 Cormorant ➝SSW
10 Raven (7➝W)
56 B.H.Gull ➝W

Lutley Wedge 26/10/12 (4°c) Cloudy, overcast. Wind (NNE) F3

Visible migration :-

1 Peregrine 

4 Brambling

2 Cygnus Swan sp ➝E

1 Common Gull ➝SW

2 Lapwing➝N

352 Redwing (223➝W) (87➝S/SW) (27 in) (12➝N) (3➝E)

200 Fieldfare (125➝W) (63➝SW) (12➝S/SE)

8 Song Thrush (1➝ESE) (1➝N) (2➝WSW) (2 in)

1732 Wood Pigeon➝S/SW

4 Redpoll sp (3➝W) (1➝S)

1 Siskin

2 Cormorant➝SSW

12 Raven➝N

17 L.B.B Gull➝SW

111 B.H.Gull➝W

juv Peregrine 26/10/12

Lutley Wedge 25/10/12 (9°c) Overcast, patchy low cloud. Wind (NE) F3

Visible migration :-

2 Peregrine

1 Brambling ➝NE

1 Common Gull ➝SW

373+ Fieldfare (289➝S/SW) (57➝W) (19➝E/NE) (3➝SE) (5 in)

291+ Redwing (193➝S/SW) (40➝E/SE) (10➝W/NW) (25➝N/NE) (23 in)

7 Song Thrush (4➝SE) (1➝N) (2 in)

9 Siskin (7➝N/NW) (1➝SW)

1 Wader sp ➝W

288 Starling ➝W

426+ Wood Pigeon ➝S/SW

2 Raven➝N 

Fieldfare 25/10/12

Lutley Wedge 24/10/12 (11°c) Low cloud, mist and drizzle. Wind (NE) F3/4

A much quieter day for migration in an increasing F3-F4 NE wind and with the blocking low cloud and drizzle still in place. A Common Gull flew through heading south, only the second sighting on the patch this year and a single Brambling flew over. 

Visible migration:-

1 Brambling ➝SSE

60 Redwing (47➝N) (11➝S/SW)

23 Fieldfare (10➝SW) (13 in)

1 Common Gull ➝S

118 Starling➝W

7 Meadow Pipit➝S/SE

100+ Chaffinch

 
Brambling sound recording and sonogram 24/10/12

Lutley Wedge 23/10/12 (11°c) Low cloud, mizzle, mist and fog. Wind (NNE) F2

"The calm before the storm?"

The first Snipe on the patch this year flew over heading west with a flock of Redwing at 09.12am and 2 Brambling were seen, one flying high to the NNW at 11.32am and another mixed in with a large flock of 150+ Chaffinch. Starling were on the move in good numbers with a total of at least 1,040 moving through below the low cloud base. There was an obvious arrival of Redwing overnight, with birds moving in all directions in the foggy conditions and the first Fieldfare of the autumn flew through.

Visible migration:-

1 Snipe ➝W (flew over west with a flock of Redwing)

2 Brambling (1➝NNW) (1♂in)

236 Redwing (58➝W) (58➝N/NW) (36➝E/SE) (29➝S) (21➝NE) (2➝SW) (14 in)

28 Fieldfare (16➝W/SW) (12➝N)

6 Song Thrush (3➝E/NE) (2➝N) (1 in)

15 Siskin (14➝SSE)

1 Redpoll sp➝SE

6 Meadow Pipit➝S

1040 Starling (774➝W) (222➝N/NW) (44➝SW)

2 Raven➝SE

150+ Chaffinch

60+ Linnet 

22+ alba Wagtail

Snipe 23/10/12 

Redwing, Song Thrush and Brambling 23/10/12

Lutley Wedge 22/10/12 (10°c) Low cloud, rain and drizzle. Wind (NNE) F2

"Deluge of migrants hit the east coast but few make it inland"
A warm front pushed north overnight bringing low cloud, persistent drizzle and light rain to the Midlands and effectively blocking any migration from further east. Vis mig was virtually non existent in the grim conditions though the first Brambling of the autumn flew north.
1 Brambling ➝N
12 Redwing (2➝W) (3➝S) (1➝N) (5 in)
3 Song Thrush (1➝N) (2 in)
1 Redpoll sp ➝SW
39 Starling➝W
2 Herring Gull➝W

Lutley Wedge 21/10/12 (5°c) Fog, clearing late a.m. Wind light (NE) F1

"Invis mig!"

Thick fog at dawn meant signs of migration were limited to a few Redwing and Song Thrush contact calls drifting down out of the clag early on. There was a small movement of Meadow Pipit as the fog lifted and visibility improved around 10.30am including a flock of (19) high to the South and (2) Golden Plover flew through very high to the SSW at 11.05am. Still no sign of any Fieldfare.

2 Golden Plover➝SSW

10 Redwing (2➝S in) 

5 Song Thrush (3➝NE)

1 Blackbird 

46 Meadow Pipit (40➝S/SW) (2➝W)

1 alba Wagtail➝S

1 Redpoll sp➝S/SW

150 Starling

40 Linnet

   

Redwing recording and sonogram Lutley Wedge 21/10/12

Lutley Wedge 09/10/12

All sightings...(SLC)

Lutley Wedge Sightings 09/10/12-10/10/12

9/10/12  Cloudy, Wind (NE➝N) F1/2
24 Redwing (14➝W) (9➝NW) (1 in)
78 Meadow Pipit (69➝S/SW) (9 in)
3 Swallow
1 Chiffchaff
41 alba Wagtail (11➝S) (30 in)
5 Redpoll sp ➝S
1 Siskin
2 Raven➝S

10/10/12 Cloudy, Wind (SE) F1/2
94 Redwing (38➝E/SE) (38➝W/SW) (18 in)
9 Meadow Pipit➝W/SW
1 Chiffchaff
1 Goldcrest
13 alba Wagtail (in)
120+ Linnet 

Lutley Wedge 08/10/12 Cloudy, patchy drizzle. Wind E/NE F1/2

"News of a Harrier grips, from a long distance!"

A stunning juv/♀ Marsh Harrier (SLC) flew through low N/NW at 08.05am (the first sighting at Lutley Wedge). Possibly the same bird was seen 35 minutes later, flying NW over Smestow Valley Wolverhampton approx 10 miles to the NW.

1 (Juv/♀) Marsh Harrier ➝N/NW

2 Redwing ➝S

4 Meadow Pipit ➝S

1 Siskin

♀/Juv Marsh Harrier 8/10/12 (a long awaited patch first!!)

Lutley Wedge 07/10/12

All sightings...(SLC)

14 Redwing (10 in) (the first this autumn)

Lutley Wedge 04/10/12 (6°c) Cloudy/overcast, clearing skies later. Wind (SW) F2

The best day this autumn for Meadow Pipit passage with (440) flying through in 4 hours from 07.30 and birds still trickling through when I left the watchpoint at 11.30. Initially pipits were going over very high in the calm conditions, but passage picked up again late morning as skies cleared, with more birds coming through lower and on a mostly SSW track. (5) Golden Plover flew over heading West at 07.50am.

5 Golden Plover ➝W

440 Meadow Pipit ➝S/SW

39 alba Wagtail ➝S

29 Swallow ➝S/SW

13 House Martin (8➝SE) (5➝S/SW)

2 Song Thrush ➝S

2 Redpoll sp (1➝S)

7 Siskin (6➝SW)

7 Chaffinch (3➝SE) (4➝S/SW)

1 Goldcrest

1 Chiffchaff

3 Coal Tit ➝E

61 B.H.Gull ➝W/SW

3 Herring Gull➝W

Golden Plover 4/10/12

Meadow Pipit and Sparrowhawk 4/10/12

Lutley Wedge (9°c) Cloudy with patchy low cloud. Wind (S) F2/3

House Martins were on the move in good numbers, with 460 flying through in four hours this morning from first light, also reasonable numbers of Meadow Pipits trickling overhead throughout the watch. A probable Goosander flew over extremely high and heading NNE, but just too high and fast to clinch, and a Peregrine flew through again hunting Woodpigeon.

1 Peregrine➝W

460 House Martin ➝S/SW/WSW (largest flocks 66, 53)

70 Swallow ➝S/SW

1 Chiffchaff (in)

210 Meadow Pipit➝S/SW

2 Siskin (1➝S)

26 alba Wagtail ➝S/SW

1 Thrush sp (Redwing/Song Thrush) ➝SSW

2 Jay ➝NE

36 B.H.Gull➝W/SW

Chiffchaff 2/10/12

(always nice when migrants drop in at your vis mig watchpoint, right where your stood!...)