Pittswood Birds

The first hour of my walk was done in bright sunshine, this made it likely that the LITTLE OWL would be at his sunbathing perch, I was proved right, so took a couple of pics. In the wet woods, it felt like spring, GREAT TITS were calling, a TREECREEPER was singing and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS were drumming. In the Alder tree's the SISKIN were feeding on the cones, but only around 15 - 20. The lake had the usual 3 species on it, MALLARD, MOORHEN and CANADA GOOSE, these species don't seem to mind the barrage of shotgun, gas cannon, and cherry bangers going off every 10 mins, it was like a war had started at times, and it really gets annoying, i' ve had to live with this racket since November! Anyway, back through the woods and on to the tree nursery, the Bluebells are well on their way up now, giving a green sheen to the woodland floor. The first few steps into the nursery was greeted with the alarm calls of all the woodland birds, I looked up and saw the PEREGRINE glide over the nursery towards migrant Alley, nice to see it again. I checked for the Barn Owl, but it wasn't home, so I made my way up the muddy footpath towards Migrant Alley. PIED WAGTAILS were enjoying picking off insects from the deep quagmire, 6 in all, there black and white colours stood out like diamonds against the oozing brown mud. The maize stubbles were empty of bird life, it didn't surprise me having just been flown over by the peregrine! So I sat down on the horse jump to see what would turn up. A distant BUZZARD could be seen, and a few minuits later a Female SPARROWHAWK went over, also going over were a few BLACK HEADED GULLS and a single LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL. YELLOWHAMMER and MEADOW PIPIT were heard flying past, but that was about it. I stopped of at the raspberry canes to see if there were any bullfinch about, but the old canes were being cut down ready for the new lot, the workers doing the job were my first Spring Migrants seen this year!!

I had a quick 30 minute scan of the garden when I got back, and was pleased to add number 40 for the 'February Garden Bird Count' A MARSH TIT had decided to come back to feed on my garden food, rather than the food provided at the garden over at the lake area. (they havn't filled their feeders!) This species makes it the best February ever for birds using my garden, with a total of 24.

Below is yet another picture of the Little Owl. - Last one I promise!

Below is a photo - of sorts, of the Peregrine as it flew over.