Blackcaps Galore!!!

26/4/13 Dry clear, cool, light-mod Westerlies - dawn - 09:00

Mid-section: Compton to Newbridge including Barleyfield and Compton Park

The passing of a weak front before dark last night, raised expectations, but it turned out to be quite in terms of the number and variety of species present.

The only noticeable fall seemed to involve Blackcaps. 15 birds were recorded around the patch, including 2 females and 6 songsters. (A particularly talented individual, with long flowing, non-accelerating phrases was at the top of the Barleyfield, very similar to one that sang near Compton Lock last year!! Perhaps it was just that one of the few females around was right by him so he was just trying hard?!!! ). There were 6 males together on the Western Border between the Crossings and The Annex early on.

Other highlights:

Pheasant - still calling from the Eastern Border of the Barleyfield. A local had seen it in the Paddock yesterday.
Sparrowhawk - displaying over Compton Hill Wood.
Stock Dove - 2 South over the Western Border of the Barleyfield.
Green Woodpecker - calling beyond Prefab Weir.
Great Spotted Woodpecker - one drumming on the Eastern Border and another calling from the SW corner of the Barleyfield.
Swallow - 2 NW over the Paddocks.
Mistle Thrush - one singing from the Academy and one on the Barleyfield.
Whitethroat - 2 displaying males at the North end of the Barleyfield, one of which was attempting to court a less than impressed female in Hanging Gardens later.
Chiffchaff - 8 on the patch, with 6 singing.
Willow Warbler - one singing at the Barleyfield Annex early on with another in the oak there. One also singing later at eddy's Alders.
Goldcrest - a PB of 4 singing birds around the patch (P Weir, Meccano Bridge at same time as one at smestow Bridge and one in the middle Paddock immediately after. I have assumed that one singing near the crossings later was the Prefab weir bird?)
Nuthatch- calling at the academy.
Jay- one over the Barleyfield.
Greenfinch - one singing near the SW corner of the Barleyfield and two more singing just north of Compton lock.