Pittswood Birds

A lovely sunny morning to be out birding, and if the weather forecast is correct, it will be the last for a while!

I recorded 51 Species today, on my 4 hour walk, 22 of those were seen or heard within 15 mins! My stop at the wild bird crop first thing, gave me my first REED BUNTING of the month, but just the two were seen along with 5 YELLOWHAMMER. There was much calling from the smallholding and wet woods, but not alot of song, TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, LONG TAILED TIT, COAL TIT and GOLDCREST were all found, one or more of these species tends elude me sometimes, but not today! Only a CORMORANT was of note at the lake, and the pair of CANADA GEESE have now started to breed with the female on eggs, they nest on the island at the lake, but rarely does the nest come to anything. CHIFFCHAFF, and BULLFINCH were active around the lake and in the scubby orchard, where two BLACKCAPS were singing, no sign of any new migrant species though.

Heading to migrant alley via the tree nursery, two GREYLAG GEESE flew over, but little was evident in the nursery itself, just a GREEN WOODPECKER, CARRION CROW and a flock of WOODPIGEONS. My first scan of migrant alley drew a blank, no wheatear today, just two immature HERRING GULLS in one of the paddocks, and a couple of flyover MEADOW PIPITS - a species that will be gone very soon now, the latest I have recorded this species is the 23rd Apr.

Along the stream, adjacent to the college grounds, two SISKIN were drinking, and as I watched them, a LESSER REDPOLL flew over, another species for this months list. The college grounds gave me nothing new for the day, but 3 Chiffchaffs now sang there, as did another Blackcap. I also saw a LINNET collecting nest material.

I walked back over to migrant alley for a skywatching session from my horse jump, and to scan the fields for Wheatear again, or maybe a Yellow Wagtail, but despite much effort, none was forthcoming! My skywatching proved a little more successful however, as again I saw a KESTREL, and witnessed my first sighting of the COMMON BUZZARD this month, it was being mobbed by the PEREGRINE!! Great to see. As I was leaving, I saw two LAPWING flying over, maybe they are local breeders ? The SWALLOW flying round the horse stables opposite my house certainly is!

Todays 3 species new for April, takes the tally to 59, a mere 12 behind the record april total, which will still take some beating I think.

Only two pics taken today, one of a Peacock butterfly, seen at Migrant Alley, and one of a PIED WAGTAIL also there.