Pittswood Birds

Overnight rain left everything dripping wet, so I started the walk with the farmland. I was almost immediately treated to a WHEATEAR in the tree nursery, only the second one recorded here, pleased with this find, and again seeing the BARN OWL at its roost, the day couldn't get much better..........so I thought! I was barely into migrant alley when the distinct call of a YELLOW WAGTAIL was heard, I watched it come over and alight in the sheep pasture, as I watched it through my bins, I could see the SWALLOWS and HOUSE MARTINS flitting just above, and was pleased to again find a SAND MARTIN with them, 3 migrant species in 40 mins, great going! A few meters on and another migrant, this time a SEDGE WARBLER (93), I heard it in the Maize crop, but couldn't see it, I waited around for 20mins or so and finally got a brief look at it, excellent ! another species for the year list, this was turning out to be one of those special visits. I carried on my walk, along the stream and through the college grounds, picking up common resident species, and it was at the college another close encounter with a HOBBY was had as it dashed low through the trees. I came out of the college and crossed the sports pitch back on to migrant alley, and there I found another 4 Yellow Wagtails! I took some photo's and went along to the Maize crop, not only were there another 2 Wheatear here, but a also a WHINCHAT! Migrant Alley really came up with the goods today. Whilst watching and photographing the Whinchat, all the Swallows went crazy above me, I looked up to see another - or the same Hobby, just 5 mins later a SPARROWHAWK caused the same commotion in the swallow ranks. Another migrant not seen for a while was a lone TURTLE DOVE in the scrub at the north end of Migrant Alley. A day to remember on my patch!!

Above and Below. A Whinchat, I could only get to within 30 meters of it.

Below, is another Wheatear photo.

The next shot is of two wheatears, not very good, but I wont get many chances to photo two together!

Here's two of the four Yellow Wagtails I found in the horse paddocks

if you look carefully you can pick out 3 of the Yellow Wagtails in this photo below. They feed right up to horses mouth, grabbing any insects that are disturbed

A Hobby Below

And lastly the Sparrowhawk that followed the hobby through.