Pittswood Birds

A gale force N/W wind blew on the way to work this morning, but it was bright and sunny...............for an hour or two! Small passerines were hard to hear, or see, just corvids, doves and WOODPIGEON were really evident, oh, and the FIELDFARE flock at migrant alley, of which there were still a few hundred feeding. On the way home they had all moved on.
After having a bit of lunch, I set of out to the woods about 2.00pm. The wind was still making it difficult to hear anything. At the lake I re-located the LITTLE GREBE, the first sighting since the 2nd of the month, also on the lake were a few MALLARD and MOORHEN. Once I got into the wet woods I could hear the very vocal TEAL, there were at least 2 pairs, I passed on and got to the south eastern part of the woods out of the wind, this is where the wood meets the tree nursery, I sat for a while, and watched a pair of GOLDCREST, with a pair of LONG TAILED TITS, they knew the best place to be - out of the wind and in the sun!
After 20 mins or so I moved on to migrant alley, but little was noted, apart from a singing YELLOWHAMMER. The first migrants have yet to arrive, and looking at my records, the chiffchaff (usually the first) arrives on the average (last 6 years) date of the 17th of march, and the next one back, the Blackcap on the 29th. I wait till I hear the song of these two, as they have overwintered in previous years.

Long Tailed Tit, enjoying the sunshine


This Long Tailed Tit was paired up with the above one

A GOLDCREST enjoyed the sheltered side of the wood also

Goldcrest again

I found this old wasp nest hanging inside one of the out-buildings beside the lake area

A view looking N/W from ''Migrant Alley''

A view from the same spot, looking more Northerley