Pittswood Birds

There were a couple of passage migrants at Migrant Alley this afternoon - SAND MARTINS. They were in a flock of some 75 - 100 mixed SWALLOWS and HOUSE MARTINS which were attracted down to the cropping of the maize just to the south of my patch, looks like the field in migrant alley will be cropped in the next few days, leaving a stubble to attract a different array of birds.
Another migrant YELLOW WAGTAIL was seen feeding on the sports pitch at the college, along with 15 PIED WAGTAILS. The thistles and dandelion seed heads attracted GOLDFINCH and LINNET, while another paddock held over 200 STARLING. Two SKYLARKS were flushed from the Maize, as was a single MEADOW PIPIT. A half hour skywatch only produced the odd HERRING GULL and a CORMORANT. A little later 8 MISTLE THRUSH alighted on one of the power pylons - only briefly though, before carrying on north. CHIFFCHAFFS were calling in almost all of the hedgerows, but nothing more exciting than that.


Above: One of the many Chiffchaff I heard today.

Above: Goldfinch's blending in well with thistles and dandelion.

The black smudge across the field, above is a flock of over 200 Starlings.