Lutley Wedge 26/12/12 Overcast

1 Marsh Tit
5 Siskin
8 Redwing  

Marsh Tit 26/12/12

 

Marsh Tit sound recording and sonogram 26/12/12

Lutley Wedge 23/12/12 (8°c) Overcast

1 Woodcock 
14 Fieldfare
2 Redwing
45 Chaffinch
1 Siskin 

Lutley Wedge 21/12/12 (7°c) Overcast

"Watching the roost flyway"

317 B.H.Gull ➝E

3 Herring Gull ➝E/NE

1 L.B.B.Gull ➝E

19 Pied Wagtail➝N

1 Redpoll sp➝S

2 Siskin (1➝S)

1 Redwing ➝E

Herring Gull 21/12/12

Lutley Wedge 13/12/12 (-4°c) Freezing, overcast. Light F2 (E/SE) breeze

"Escape movements"

Three days of freezing conditions with daytime temperatures not rising above 0°c and overnight dropping as low as -7°c, finally induced some excellent cold weather movements of waders over the patch today from 09.50am.

(155) Lapwing, (70) Golden Plover and (2) Snipe flew over in c3.5 hours with Lapwing mainly moving West and Golden Plover heading South/SW.

155 Lapwing (144➝W) (11➝S/SW) (largest flocks 32, 27 and 24)

70 Golden Plover (56➝S) (14➝SW) (flocks of 8, 40, 8 and 14)

2 Snipe ➝E

10 Fieldfare (6➝W)

6 Redwing

42 Skylark

7 Herring Gull ➝E/SE

7 Siskin 

Golden Plover and Snipe 13/12/12

Lapwing 13/12/12

Lutley Wedge 11/12/12 (-2°c) Freezing, clear with hard frost (-3°c) overnight.

11 Redwing
6 Fieldfare (5➝W)
24 Skylark
1 Meadow Pipit ➝WNW 

Lutley Wedge 06/12/12 (-1°c) Overcast, hard frost and windchill (-3.4°c) overnight

"Wax on wax off!"

This years Waxwing influx hit the local patch in style, when a stunning flock of at least (32) Waxwings flew 'trilling' low overhead at 09.07am. 

32 Waxwing ➝E

65 Redwing (14 in) (13➝S/SW) (36➝W/SW) (2➝E/SE)

83 Fieldfare (41➝S/SW) (12➝W) (9➝E) (2➝WNW) 

1 Song Thrush

6 Skylark 

2 Raven➝E

1 Siskin➝E

5 B.H.Gull ➝W

Waxwings 6/6/12

Lutley Wedge 01/12/12 (1°c) Cold/clear start, o/night frost (-2°c) then showers. Wind W/NW F2/3

Signs of some cold weather movements with c2-3 Golden Plover flying over. 

2 Golden Plover (1➝W at 0852) (1➝E at 0940) (1➝W at 0950)

1 Woodcock

16 Redwing

22 Fieldfare

33 Siskin

3 Redpoll sp (2➝S) (1 in)

180 Chaffinch

1 Meadow Pipit ➝W

17 Skylark

Golden Plover 1/12/12

Lutley Wedge 18/11/12 (6°c) Sunny,clear, frost (-2°c) overnight. Wind (WSW) F1

1 Chiffchaff 

11 Redwing

2 Siskin (1➝SE)

6 Pied Wagtail

17 B.H.Gull

Redwing 18/11/12

Lutley Wedge 01/11/12 (4°c) Cloudy/overcast, light rain. Wind (SSW) F1

Visible migration :-
1 Brambling
43 Chaffinch (18➝W)
31 Redwing (5➝SW) (20 in) (6➝W)
1 Redpoll sp ➝N
2 Meadow Pipit ➝W/SW
16 B.H.Gull ➝SW

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!...)

Lutley Wedge 29/09/12 (6°c) Sunny, clear skies. Wind (W) F2/3

Fine and clear conditions this morning with plenty of high level vis mig as a result. The first (11) Golden Plover this autumn flew very high to the east at 08.55am, followed by (2) ♂♀ Goosander high west at 09.08am the first Goosander on the patch this year. A Peregrine flew west hunting Woodpigeon at 07.30am. Meadow Pipits were again on the move from first light with at least (256) heading S/SW in 4 hours.  

2 (1♂1♀)  Goosander ➝W

11 Golden Plover ➝E

1 Peregrine➝WNW

256 Meadow Pipit ➝S/SW

53 Swallow ➝S

4 House Martin (1➝S) (3➝W)

2 Redpoll sp (1➝SE)

3 Siskin➝S/SE

17 alba Wagtail ➝S

1 Grey Wagtail ➝S

4 Cormorant (1➝S) (3➝NE)

6 Jay (3➝SE) (2➝SE in) (1➝NNE)

Peregrine and Goosander 29/9/12

Lutley Wedge 28/09/12 (8°c) Cloudy, low cloud drizzle/rain showers. Wind (SSW) F3

An excellent morning for passage raptors if not the weather! A superb Red Kite flew low SSW at 07.53am and a Peregrine flew over WNW. A trickle of Mipits, Swallows and House Martins struggled through overhead though the increasingly frequent rain showers and drizzle coming through later in the morning seemed to kill off any meaningful vis mig.

1 Red Kite ➝SW

1 Peregrine ➝W/NW

71 Meadow Pipit ➝S/SW

15 House Martin ➝S/SW

17 Swallow ➝S/SW

10 alba Wagtail (7➝S/SW) (3➝E)

5 Siskin ➝S/SE

1 Grey Wagtail ➝SE

1 Chiffchaff

2 Canada Geese ➝ENE

3 Herring Gull (2➝WNW) (1➝SW)

24 L.B.B.Gull (12➝WNW) (12➝SW)

23 B.H.Gull ➝W/SW

Red Kite 28/9/12

alba Wagtail, Siskin and Meadow Pipit 28/9/12

Lutley Wedge 19/09/12 (5°c) Sunny, clear skies. Wind (W) F1-2

"Mipits move and first flush of Siskin"

Meadow Pipits were on the move from first light heading S/SW in good numbers, with (332) flying through in a 4 hour watch. Some birds were probably missed as they came through at high altitude at times in the clear calm conditions especially early on. Passage eased off late morning but birds were still trickling through as i left the watchpoint at 11am. The very poor passage for Yellow Wagtail on the patch this autumn continued, with just (1) flava Wagtail flying through, but there were the first signs of Siskin passage getting going with (6) flying over. 

1 flava Wagtail ➝W

1 alba Wagtail ➝SW

1 Grey Wagtail ➝S/SW

332 Meadow Pipit ➝S/SW

15 House Martin (9➝SW) (6➝S)

22 Swallow (14➝S)

6 Siskin (3➝WSW) (1 in) 

1 Cormorant ➝NE

1 Chiffchaff

100+ Linnet

Some of the 100's 'Mipit montage' 19/9/12

Lutley Wedge 16/09/12 Overcast, light (SW) F1/F2 breeze

81 Meadow Pipit  (71➝S/SW) (4➝W) (1➝E) (5 in)

1 alba Wagtail ➝W

2 Grey Wagtail

34 House Martin (21➝S)

14 Swallow (6➝S)

1 Chiffchaff

200+ Linnet (Grange Farm)

30 Canada Geese➝W

1 Herring Gull ➝W

Meadow Pipit 16/9/12

Lutley Wedge Sightings 02/09/12-07/09/12

All sightings...(SLC)

2/9/12

1 Whinchat

2 Redstart (1♂) (1♀/1st-w)

4+ Chiffchaff

100+ Linnet

(1st-w) Whinchat Lutley Wedge 2/9/12 

4/9/12

1 Meadow Pipit ➝SW (first of autumn passage)

15+ Swallow

15+ House Martin

4 Whitethroat

2 Blackcap

4 Chiffchaff

6/9/12

1 Spotted Flycatcher (Wassell Grove Pools)

1 Hobby ➝S/SW (Wassell Grove Pools)

1 Swift

11 Meadow Pipit ➝SW

50 Swallow

50 House Martin (30➝SW)

(1st-w) Spotted Flycatcher Wassell Grove Pools 6/9/12

7/9/12

5 Swift

c70+ House Martin & Swallow

Lutley Wedge 28/08/12 (12°c) Sunny, clear skies clouding over later. Wind (SW) F1

1 Hobby 

6 Swift

16 House Martin

3 Swallow

2 Whitethroat

1 Blackcap

1 Chiffchaff

Hobby over urban airspace...Lutley Wedge 28/8/12

Lutley Wedge 27/08/12 (13°c) Grey overcast and breezy (light rain later am) Wind (SSE➝S) F2/3

"Tripits on the move in a big way!"

A change of wind direction to the SSE and heavily overcast skies this morning. Vis mig kicked in with (9) Tree Pipits flying over in 3 hours between 6.40am-9.40am (a new record day count at Lutley), also 2 Yellow Wagtail flew through SW.

9 Tree Pipit  (6➝S/SW) (1➝ESE) (2 in, then 1➝S and 1➝ESE)

2 flava Wagtail ➝SW

39 Swallow (9➝S/SW) (26➝W)

43 House Martin (27➝S/SE)

30 Swift (6➝SW) (20➝WSW)

"Incoming"

"Dropping out..."

Tree Pipit Lutley Wedge 27/8/12

The sweet sound of vis mig! Tree Pipit sonograms and sound recordings Lutley Wedge 27/8/12.....

 Tree Pipit Lutley Wedge 27/8/12 (flight call) by Lutley Birder 

 Tree Pipit Lutley Wedge 27/8/12 (flight call) by Lutley Birder 

Lutley Wedge 26/08/12 (11°c/19°c) Bright, broken high cloud. clouding over later a.m. Wind W F1/2

"The 'dead' centre"

Vis mig again deathly quiet, though very much the case of the 'one that got away' this morning as a very high and distant wader flew over WNW at 0725am, but just too high and far away to i.d!!  The first Redpoll of the autumn flew through along with 5 Cormorant. 

1 wader sp ➝WNW

1 Lesser Redpoll ➝WSW

5 Swift

26+ Swallow

11 House Martin

1 Chiffchaff

5 Cormorant ➝E

Lesser Redpoll 26/8/12

Lutley Wedge 24/08/12 (13°c/18°c) Grey, overcast with patchy low cloud and early mist. Wind (S) F1

Another quiet day with virtually no visible migration first thing, other than (1) Crossbill that flew over heading south at 10.10am. 

1 Crossbill ➝S

21 Swift

87 House Martin

c60 Swallow

6 Chiffchaff

2 Willow Warbler

1 Whitethroat

Lutley Wedge 23/08/12 (12°c/19°c) Bright, broken high cloud. Wind (SW) F2/3

"Where are the Wheatears!?"

Still very slow migration wise for late August, with only a single Tree Pipit over this morning.  

1 Tree Pipit (flew over at 10.40am)

20+ Swift

c28 House Martin (10➝S)

10 Swallow

1 Lesser Whitethroat

3 Whitethroat

2 Blackcap

1 Willow Warbler

3+ Chiffchaff

2 Raven➝WNW

1 Red Admiral

Swifts 23/8/12

(note the bulging throat pouch on the Swift in the lower photos, indicating that some Swifts are probably still feeding late broods, due to the cold and wet weather during the spring/summer) 

Lutley Wedge 21/08/12 (14°c/20°c) Cloudy, overcast (some early patchy low cloud) . (S/SW) breeze F1

A Crossbill flew south over Wassell Grove Pools at 10.33am, followed by a Tree Pipit  south at 10.45am. Another Tree Pipit dropped out into the horse paddock near Foxcote House farm briefly at 09.45am. There was an influx of c70 Swifts late morning, with most moving off to the S/SW.

1 Crossbill ➝S

2 Tree Pipit (1➝S) (1 in)

c70 Swift

c57 Swallow 

c70 House Martin 

5 Chiffchaff

1 Whitethroat

1 Blackcap

25 Lapwing➝SW

1 Herring Gull➝E

2 Raven➝W

100 Linnet

Tree Pipit 21/8/12

Swift and 'tail-less' House Martin 21/8/12 (Bizarrely two House Martins in the flock today had no tail feathers!)

Lutley Wedge 19/08/12 (16°c-24°c) Warm, cloudy. Wind calm/var (NE) F1

"A patch first and some quality vis mig!"

(9) Ringed Plover flew over heading high to the west at 10.28am (the first record at Lutley Wedge). A ♀ Crossbill flew south at 07.28am also (1) Spotted Flycatcher, (1) Tree Pipit and a Yellow Wagtail over. 

9 Ringed Plover ➝W

1 Crossbill ➝S

1 Spotted Flycatcher ➝W

1 Tree Pipit

1 flava Wagtail

4 Willow Warbler

5 Chiffchaff

2 Whitethroat

2 Blackcap

c54 Swallow

c50 House Martin

c7 Swift

50 Linnets

1 Red Admiral➝SW

♀ Crossbill 19/8/12

Spotted Flycatcher 19/8/12

My first ever vis mig Spot Fly had me scratching my head to begin with, as i picked it up coming in high from the east. Looking overall dark and long winged, but totally silent which quickly eliminated Tree Pipit, it had an unmistakeable undulating flight action and jizz similar to Wheatear. In the record photos you can just make out the pale edged secondaries forming a lighter panel on the folded wing, dark beady eye and overall greyish plumage tones and the indistinct pale-ish wing bar/line on the upperwing. A very instructive bird!

Willow Warbler 19/8/12

What is it with passage Willow Warblers and powerlines!?

Lutley Wedge 08/08/12

1 Willow Warbler
5 Chiffchaff
10 Whitethroat
4 Blackcap
23 Swallow
6+ House Martin
8+ Swift
(all sightings...SLC)