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)