Pittswood Birds

It was overcast and dull when I left for work this morning, and the birds were not showing themselves! HERRING GULLS did buck the trend though, and how! I counted over 100 flying NW. I think they may have come up from a nearby ''cropped'' field.
Not much was happening this afternoon either, a walk over to the lake area didn't produce anything but the really common stuff, WOODPIGEON, COLLARED DOVE, MOORHEN MALLARD, GREEN WOODPECKER and the likes. As I meandered across the tree nursey, just a COMMON WHITETHROAT was heard, but the sighting of another HOBBY flying over was nice. Migrant Alley was only showing SWALLOWS, PIED WAGTAILS and LINNETS, the usual fare. The linnets are beginning to flock together now, 13 were seen feeding on some sort of weed on the trackway.
It will be nice to get out in the early in the morning, I can beat the dog walkers and strimming lot. Everyone round here seems to have purchased a brush cutter! A macho thing I suppose.
i've got next week off, so I'll get out as much as I can - well - in between the outings i'll have to go on with the missus.

This RED ADMIRAL was with 3 Peacock butterflies on the Buddlea by the lake.