Pittswood Birds

The weather is still holding fine, and although there was a frost early on, it soon turned into a warm day. The early frost seemed to put a dampner on the bird activity, as the actual numbers of birds were low, but the day list reached a respectable total of 44. My search for the first Blackcap of the year was not successful, I sat and listened for 20 mins, in the most likely place - by the lake, but none was heard, in fact there wasn't much song at all, just the common birds, WREN, ROBIN DUNNOCK, BLACKBIRD, SONGTHRUSH and various Tits and Finch's.

There were still some winter birds about, SISKIN in the wet woods, also some FIELDFARE and REDWING were in a lone oak at the tree nursery, where they were flushed off by a male SPARROWHAWK that went over slowly. Migrant Alley didn't produce much, just 2 SKYLARK a MEADOW PIPIT and a few PIED WAGTAILS, the ploughed field has now dried out, and doesn't seem to be attractive to the birds anymore! One bird that was more obvious today was the CHIFFCHAFF, at least 6 were heard singing at various places around my patch, always a cheerful sound.

So all in all a quiet walk, but thats not too unexpected for this time of year, many birds are leaving my patch, and not too many are arriving yet. For a change, tomorrow i'm going off to Boughton park with the KOS fieldtrip, it doesn't start till 9 o'clock, so i'll have a quick look round Migrant Alley before i go.

Below is a male LINNET, it's just coming into breeding plumage, you can just see it's breast getting the red pigment.
Below is a CARRION CROW, this bird was right at the top of a tree ''cawing'' loudly over it's territory.