Home Whin

 I decided to stay local today and so chose to visit Willowbrook Industrial Estate and Priors Hall. It was a mainly cloudy day with a few sunny spells while the wind wasn't as strong as it has been of late. Migration is still in progress and I was pleased to catch up with a few passing chats on my travels.

Wheatears and Whinchat record shot.

On the eastern edge of the steelworks both Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat were singing. A short distance away at Willowbrook Industrial Estate I found a pair of female Wheatears. Going by the date, their leggy stance and bright plumage I'd tentatively I.D  them as birds of the Greenland race. As well as a song flighting Meadow Pipit I also heard a Yellow Wagtail pass over.

Meadow Pipit and Willow Warbler

Moving to Priors Hall added another female Wheatear in the northern gullet which unusually for this species was perched in the top of a hawthorn bush. Several Sedge Warblers continue to sing from the reedy areas while Willow Warblers also seem to be doing well. My highlight here was a female Whinchat which though distant showed well enough it identify. In the southern gullet a Grasshopper Warbler was heard reeling while Sand Martins were seen in good numbers over the lake. I'd hoped to see some new damsels around the ponds but instead had to content myself with more sightings of Large Reds. More success attended my butterfly watching efforts as I found my first Dingy Skippers of the year with about ten on the wing. Not too much else of note was seen but all in all it was a decent day's spotting.

Large Red Damselfly and Dingy Skipper