Pittswood Birds

I made an error on yesterday's post, I actually recorded 7 new species for the year not 6. I forgot to note down a GREY WAGTAIL (53), I must be getting old!
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Just as things had started to thaw out, another hard frost overnight put everything into an icy tomb. So I started my walk over at the farmland, the LINNETS were observed leaving their roost at the tree nursery, where there were a couple of early rising GOLDCRESTS. The BARN OWL was in his shack, huddled up and snoozing, away from the frosty conditions. As I passed the Owl roost, a fox came trotting across the field, totally oblivious to my presence, it went up to a garden fence,and jumped over into the hen coup there. It didn't get one, as the dogs were onto it straight off! I pressed on to Migrant alley, nothing had arrived on the stubble as yet, but a few BLACK HEADED GULLS were starting to arrive, joining the ROOKS on the sheep pasture. I walked round to the college grounds, via the stream, but only the usual common birds were picked up.
I crossed the sports pitch, and went back to the stubbles at Migrant Alley, where at least 200 LAPWING had now gathered, I scanned through them for a Golden Plover, but no luck, however a new species for the year flew over, a pair of STOCK DOVES (54) went NE.
The woodland part of my walk wasn't particularly rewarding, apart from a flock of at least 5 REED BUNTING and 7 YELLOWHAMMER in the wild bird crop at the west end of ashes lane. The pools in the wet woods were frozen over, but I did pick up TREECREEPER, and NUTHATCH, also there was a small gathering of REDWING on the woodland floor, I don't normally see them in this habitat. The lake was frozen from bank to bank again, and just 4 MALLARD were on the ice, looks like it will be like this until next weekend according to the long range weather forecast.

Above: The fox takes a run up at the fence, and then below sizes it up before leaping over.

Below is the Breakfast the fox was hoping for, alas he missed out today!