Pittswood Birds

Light rain fell this morning on my way in, but it soon died out and the day brightened up. As I crossed the sheep pasture and paddocks at migrant alley, the first CORMORANT this month flew over, followed by a flock of gulls consisting of two BLACK HEADED and four HERRING. On the sports pitch at the college, 36 ROOKS fed, along with 14 JACKDAWS and a dozen or so STARLINGS. A CHIFFCHAFF could be heard singing somewhere in the grounds, but migrant song was mostly absent, as usually happens around and after the longest day.
A visit to the lake area was rewarded with some migrant song though. A single BLACKCAP, TURTLE DOVE and another CHIFFCHAFF all did their best. I also saw a few Speckled wood and Meadow brown butterflies here. I cut back through the tree nursery and watched a COMMON WHITETHROAT taking food to its nest site, and a pair of linnets went over carrying nesting material. The only large soaring birds I saw were LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS, 3 went over heading SW. As I left the nursery I met a shooter with his airgun, he said he was rabbiting, but also shot Magpies , Jays, and Carrion Crows, he reckoned he was doing the songbirds a favour! I asked if he shot Great Spotted Woodpeckers, ''course not'' he growled, well they have the same habit of eating young fledglings I explained, whats the difference ? He didn't asnwer that! I suspect that the poor corvids suffer from centuries of indoctrinated opinions. Great Spots on the other hand have only recently had thier lifestyle studied.

Lesser Black backed Gulls