Pittswood Birds

Towering shower clouds, hail and thunder for the afternoon


The huge shower clouds were already building when I left at 06:40 this morning, but its was mainly sunny until the first hefty shower, at around 11:00am. The first part of my walk along ashes lane, quickly produced 22 species, one of which was a SISKIN, it circled round and alighted at the very top of an oak, the latest siskin I have recorded, the previous latest date was one in 2006 that was seen on the 4th April. Another winter species - FIELDFARE ,was seen, a lone bird fed in a field, this is the latest date I have recorded for this species also. I passed along the hedgerow at the golfcourse, nothing unusual there, but as I came out onto Cuckoo lane, I could hear appropriately, my first CUCKOO (75) of the year. It was calling from its traditional territory, the patch of scrubby woodland adjacent to the lakes, I listened for some time, getting my fill of this curious migrant. I only get to hear them call on around 50 days of the year!! Another spring migrant, the WILLOW WARBLER was calling from just outside the wet woods, but it will pass through - they always do. At migrant alley, a tractor was muck spreading, so I didn't hang around ! The was however a pair of GREY WAGTAILS that found it an attractive dining area!

Cuckoo!! This is the 7th spring on my patch, the cuckoo has arrived on the following dates:

2002-18th Apr. 2003- 13 Apr. 2004- 14 Apr. 2005- 14 Apr. 2006- 11 Apr. 2007- 15th Apr. 2008- 13 Apr. Quite a feat of timing.

I couldn't get any closer, it was very wary, hence the poor photo's !

A Migrant Willow Warbler.

The Bluebells in the wet woods are starting to look thier best.