Lutley Wedge 02/08/11 07.40am (17°c) Warm, cloudy/overcast. Light (SW/W) breeze F1

(4) Ravens flew over high to the Southeast, and a flock of (100+) Linnets were near Grange Farm/Top Footpath.

Migrant totals:-

4 Raven ➝SE

1 Grey Heron ➝E

31 Swift (4➝SSW)

65 House Martin

7 Swallow (5➝SW)

4 Common Whitethroat

1 Chiffchaff

Tail-less Swift 2/8/11

(Just how an adult Swift loses all it's tail feathers i'm not exactly sure!)

Lutley Wedge 31/07/11 07.20am (16°c) Bright with broken cloud. Light (S) breeze F1/2

The excellent run of Hobby sightings on the local patch this autumn continued today, with 2 Hobbies together around Foxcote Pond this morning. A flock of (80+) Linnet were at Grange Barns/Farm.

Migrant Totals:-

2 Hobby (1➝WSW) (1➝E)

1 Siskin ➝N

76 Swift

6 Swallow

29 House Martin

1 Willow Warbler

3 Chiffchaff

4 Common Whitethroat

1 Blackcap

1 Red Admiral

Hobby 31/7/11

Lutley Wedge 29/07/11 07.10am (14°c) Cool cloudy and overcast. Wind (E/NE) F2

Very much the highlight in patch terms today and a welcome patch year tick were (2) Mute Swans that flew in high over the Top Footpath at 09.45am heading North. Mute Swan is a 'rare passage visitor' at Lutley Wedge with only a handful of previous records! Other oddities on the move this morning included (6) Cormorant that flew in from the WNW and headed off to the SSW.

Vis Mig/Migrant totals:-

2 Mute Swan ➝N

6 Cormorant ➝SSW

1 Hobby (hunting around Grange Farm/Foxcote Pond)

26 Swift 

37 House Martin

19+ Swallow

1 Willow Warbler

9 Chiffchaff

1 Common Whitethroat

Mute Swan and Cormorants 29/7/11

Lutley Wedge 26/07/11 12.10pm (20°c) Warm, sunny spells + broken cloud light NNW Breeze

'Subbuteo's and Swiftage!'

At least (130) Swifts and (26) Swallows were feeding low over the fields around Grange Farm/Foxcote Pond, and attracted the attentions of (2) hunting Hobbies that flew over at 12.19pm and 2.35pm. 

Migrant totals:-

(2) Hobby ➝E

(130+) Common Swift

(26+) Swallow

(2+) House Martin

(1) Willow Warbler

(6) Chiffchaff

(3) Common Whitethroat

(1) Blackcap

Swifts and Hobby Lutley Wedge 26/7/11

Lutley Wedge 20/07/11 12.30pm (18°c) Warm cloudy and overcast, light ENE Breeze

Finally a few signs that things are starting to move today. A superb Hobby flew over hunting Hirundines and Swifts at Wassell Grove Pools, and was mobbed by Swallows before heading off ➝NNE, also a Sedge Warbler in the hedgerows near Foxcote Pond. 

Also seen :-

70+ Common Swift

20+ Swallow

20+ House Martin

11 Common Whitethroat

2 Blackcap 

6 Chiffchaff

22 Linnet

2 Red Admiral

Hobby 20/7/11

Signs of successful breeding (Juv Common Whitethroat and Blackcap)

20/7/11

Lutley Wedge 01/07/11 12.00pm (20°c) Warm, sunny spells and broken cloud.

The ♂ Reed Warbler seemed finally to have moved on as there was no sign of it today. A flock of (60+) Swifts were feeding 'en masse' very low over the fields along the Top Footpath near Grange Farm, with many of the Swifts showing obvious white/bulging throat pouches, due to the 'bolus' of aerial insects they were carrying.

Swifts Lutley Wedge 1/7/11

Lutley Wedge 27/06/11 12.00pm (30°c) Hot, humid and cloudy

The ♂ Reed Warbler was still singing on territory today along with a ♂ Sedge Warbler.
According to the BTO 'Migration Atlas' 2002 although Reed Warblers arrive back in southern Britain from mid April the spring migration is protracted and some do not leave Africa until early June, these late birds are unlikely to return to breeding grounds in western Europe until mid-June (Dowsett -Lemaire & Dowsett 1987). This possibly explains the June arrivals of Reed Warbler here on the patch in the last two years.

Reed Warbler 27/6/11 

Reed Warbler Lutley Wedge 27/6/11

Lutley Wedge 26/06/11 12.00pm (27°c) Hot, sunny with some scattered cloud

The mid-summer patch birding 'doldrums' were livened up today with the discovery of a ♂ Reed Warbler singing this afternoon, and a welcome patch year tick. This is only the 6th record of this scarce migrant on the local patch, and was singing from exactly the same spot as a ♂ i found last year on the 16/6/10. Quite possibly the same un-paired bird returning again to set up territory.

Also seen:-

(12+) Common Swift

(4) Swallow

House Martin

(1)Chiffchaff

(2) Blackcap

(2) Common Whitethroat

♂ Reed Warbler 26/6/11