Pittswood Birds

The day dawned different to yesterday, light rain fell, and a cool wind blew, but later there were some sunny intervals.

Despite the dull conditions, once again a creditable 49 species were recorded, 4 of these were new for the month, all 4 recorded while skywatching at Migrant alley - A CORMORANT headed NE, and the two local PEREGRINES were following each other high above, but the best sighting was of a YELLOW WAGTAIL, that headed N, calling as it did so. As I was watching the sky a WILLOW WARBLER gave a short burst of song from the small copse next to the greenhouse complex.

The scrub area by the lake provided more spring migrant song, with LESSER and COMMON WHITETHROAT, BLACKCAP, GARDEN WARBLER, CHIFFCHAFF and CUCKOO, but the Turtle Doves were still not singing here, or indeed over at the scrub at Migrant Alley.

A wander through the small holding and wet woods failed to net me the first Nuthatch or Treecreeper of the month - they really are hard to find when they are nesting, but all the finch's and tits showed up, as did the SONG and MISTLE THRUSH, GREEN and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS and the always present WREN, DUNNOCK and ROBIN.

Swallows were numerous around my patch, but House martins were absent, as were the swifts, which have not been seen since I first saw them last sunday. Gulls were represented by HERRING and LESSER BLACK BACKED, which flew over early on, and the only other raptor seen today was a KESTREL hunting around the Greenhouse complex.

Bank holiday tomorrow, so that means another morning visit round the patch, and maybe its time for the Hobby falcon to turn up, many have been reported to me not so far away, and also, just maybe, the spotted Flycatcher will be back around its traditional breeding area at the College grounds, only one pair turned up last year, lets hope that at least that many we be repeated.


Below, at last, I managed a photo of a Common Whitethroat, a little grainy, the light was poor!
This GOLDFINCH was at the feeders in my garden. I had just finished cleaning my Bins and camera, so as everything was to hand I had to snap him!