Pittswood Birds

It felt a bit Autumnal this morning on the way to work, but the singing YELLOWHAMMER in ashes lane reminded me there was still a bit of summer left. SWALLOWS skimmed over the maize crop at migrant alley, and LINNETS were on the fencing, but little else was about.
This afternoon I walked through the tree nursery, trying to find a Whitethroat for the Aug. list, as this was the last place I saw one, but they weren't about. A couple of noisey
GREEN WOODPECKERS flew up from between the rows of trees, as did two STOCK DOVES. I walked up the adjacent field boundary and checked the hedgerow that leads me onto Migrant Alley, only a DUNNOCK and a few BLUE TITS were there. At Migrant Alley, I stopped and watched 15 or so SWIFTS go over, and a 3 HERRING GULLS with a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL. Linnets and Swallows were still the most numerous birds about, closely folllowed by PIED WAGTAILS, one adult was feeding two youngsters on the dung heap. Thereafter a band of short sharp showers passed through, and ended my walk.

I watched the garden feeders for an hour or so. GREENFINCH (Above) were now getting quite numerous, 8 were at the sunflower hearts. A flock of 9 STARLINGS came down to the Elder tree, which has now got some ripening fruit on, hopefully it might attract a Blackcap or Lesser Whitethroat in, as happens in most years, less so the Common Whitethroat.

Three GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS came in , a female and two young birds.

A squirrel has taken the majority of the cob nuts from the tree, I suppose it's better than nicking the sunflower hearts.