Pittswood Birds

A new month, and usually the on the first full walk round I count up every bird I see, but it was so windy I have postponed it until tomorrow. The wind was a significant feature in the relatively low species count of 44, some calls were hard to pick up, like the whistles of the nuthatch and the quiet high pitched phrases of the Coal Tit and GOLDCREST, the former two eluded me all morning. The lane that leads from the golf course to the lake area (Cuckoo Lane) had its hedgerows flailed again, they were only smashed up in the autumn!! I suppose they just wanted to be sure they had ruined them for the whole of this years breeding birds. Once at the lake I re-discovered the LITTLE GREBE. I wonder if it left for another lake for a while, or it was just hiding? Also there, was a lone CORMORANT and a few MALLARD, the odd MOORHEN called from the lakeside cover. In the waterlogged woods 2 pairs of TEAL were feeding, but little else was seen. The only other birds of real note were the STARLINGS at migrant alley. A flock of at least 500 fed on the pasture, with a minimum 100 FEILDFARE and a small number of REDWING. Whilst walking along the stream at the college, I just picked up the calls of a group of 12 SISKIN feeding in some alders. The next couple of weeks will be a testing time, as the winter visitors leave and the spring visitors are just about to arrive, it leaves a bit of a gap, where nothing much happens!
The Buebells are really coming through now, giving a green carpet in the wet woods