Pittswood Birds

It was warm again this morning - even at 05.20hrs, when I left for a 4 and a half hour trek round my patch. All the regular summer migrants were noted except Hobby, BLACKCAPS, COMMON WHITETHROATS and CHIFFCHAFF numbers are up on last year, GARDEN WARBLER, LESSER WHITETHROAT are the same. The lone WILLOW WARBLER continues to sing, around one of the lakes.TURTLE DOVES were not found at their traditional site, at the scrubby area adjacent the lakes, I hope they havn't left the area. I did find them at the small headland off migrant alley however, along with SWIFTS, SWALLOWS and HOUSE MARTINS overhead, the latter have started nest building at one of the college buildings - I wonder if the new plastic soffatting will affect them? Two CUCKOO,S were heard and one seen well as it sat atop a douglas fir and the SPOTTED FLYCATCHER was joined by another, in the college grounds.

A Chiffchaff posed well, in an ash tree in the scrubby headland off migrant alley

A lone Moorhen chick was seen on the small pond in the college grounds

A Grey Heron glided over slowly, - made my heart quicken, just for a second

Here's a poor effort at a Lesser Whitethroat - they really are hard to photograph well!