Pittswood Birds

I was back out on my patch this afternoon, and trying hard to find a new species to put on the year list. Although yesterdays snow was still lying, it felt warm in the sunshine out of the cool breeze. The walk over to the wet woods and lake area was scarcely worth the effort, just the LITTLE OWL was noteworthy, sitting at it's usual tree, the first of four new species for this month found today. The lake was frozen over, and the wet woods was dripping ice and water from the trees all over me, so i quickly made my way out, and into the tree nursery. Whilst walking along the edge of the nursery and wet woods, I was fortunate enough to once again disturb a WOODCOCK, or is it the same Woodcock that I have recorded here before? Anyway, it's another new species for this month, as was the PIED WAGTAIL that flew over a few minutes later. I plodded my way through the snow, and thought I saw the Barn Owl pop up over the laurel trees, but I didn't see properly, so I didn't count it. I've not seen it since the 24th of Jan, I hope it's still ok! Over at Migrant Alley the maize and sheep pasture was snow covered, so nothing was on them, apart from a small flock of mixed thrushes, only a dozen or so, and a single LAPWING, they had managed to find a sunny line of grass up against the hedge, that the snow had been thawed from. Apart from a few BLACK HEADED GULLS and a single COMMON GULL, which was the fourth new species for this month, nothing much else was about.

In the garden I had a REDWING alight in the Elder tree, only the 3rd one recorded in my garden, If I put some more apples out maybe i'll get my first fieldfare. As for the ''February Garden Challenge'' I added another two species today, when a flock of LINNETS were seen in their pre-roost tree, and 2 MALLARDS flew over the house towards the frozen lake.


Here's one of 3 Foxe's I saw today

The Little owl was out enjoying the warmth of the winter sunshine

This SPARROWHAWK flew low from the tree nursery, and sped into a garden, attacking a BLACKBIRD that was feeding under a line of leylandii tree's. It missed!