Saturday 28th April 2012 - Shenstone and then some!

I decided to visit the patch early today, in the hope of maybe hearing a reeling Grasshopper Warbler.  I arrived at Butts Lane at just gone 6:30am to be greeted by what could only be described as a symphony of bird song.  The song from the scrub adjacent to Eastfield farm could only be described as warblertastic!  I could hear singing Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and then I picked up on a singing Garden Warbler (a patch first for 2012).  The early visit had been worth while for that bird alone.  Also of note at Butts Lane was a single Pied Wagtail and a Raven.

I then decided to pop to this years Wheatear hotspot at Back Lane.  There had been a serious fall and on scanning across the plough I counted an incredible 13 Northern Wheatears.  This was the biggest fall I have ever recorded at a patch location.  Whilst on Back Lane I had a flock of 17 Swallows go through heading NE.

My final stop was Stanklyn Lane paddocks.  Things were fairly quite here with the exception of a stunning ♂ Yellowhammer perched up on a bush opposite singing his heart out.  Just as about to go I picked up the  rattling warble of a Lesser Whitethroat...Result!  and another patch first for 2012.

What a fantastic few hours.  I was even back home by 9am for a bacon butty and a bucket of tea, but the day didn't end there.....

Northern Wheatear
(from the archives....bl**dy weather!)

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As there had been such a good 'fall' of Wheatears this morning at Shenstone and other good falls had been recorded at Lutley/Wassell Grove by my mate Craig (http://lutleybirder.blogspot.co.uk/), I decided to visit some of the other sites within a 4 mile radius of Shenstone where there may have been similar bird movements.  Below is a summary of what I found:

Bluntington
There were 4 Northern Wheaters in the cereal field.

Hartlebury
In the large ploughed field at Whitlenge Lane there were 2 Wheatears, 4 Yellow Wagtails and a White Wagtail present.

Tanwood
In the large sheep field there were 12 Wheatears present (of which I would say atleast 60% were good candidates for the Greenland race)

Woodrow
There were 5 Wheatear present...although I later found out that Terry H had found these earlier in the day.

What a day,  in total I saw 36 Wheatears locally (of which 31 were self found)....now that's what I call Spring migration!