Pittswood Birds

Got back from my walk an hour ago, but I only spent 3 and a half hours out, partly because the rain came in and partly because I'm still suffering from this cold! I sneezed all the way round!!

Highlight of my walk was another RED KITE sighting, well worth hauling my bones out of bed at six this morning for that alone! It flew quite low over Migrant Alley, where also, the two local PEREGRINES were up and about. I never would have believed that I would have recorded these two species on my patch when I started watching it in 2002, let alone seeing them both on the same day, it's little things like this give me the enthusiasm to carry on recording, even when negative things sometimes happen to the habitat on my patch, and make me feel like giving up.

Other birds of note were a third Raptor species - a KESTREL, also over Migrant Alley, and the SPOTTED FLYCATCHER was refound in the College grounds, with possibly another, maybe a mate ? I'll keep a close eye out. Migrant birds were not singing in the dull damp conditions, only 1 BLACKCAP and 3 CHIFFCHAFF sang, a CUCKOO called at the lakeside scrub and 1 TURTLE DOVE was seen flying over. Fewer SWIFTS, and swallows were seen, and just 2 HOUSE MARTINS, a pair, which have returned to one of the college buildings, and are showing signs of nesting there.

The day list reached a creditable 47 species, but had I stayed out a bit longer - and felt a bit better, I think a list into the mid-fifties could well have been on. Species such as Long Tailed and Coal Tit, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Greylag Goose, Sparrowhawk, Lesser Whitethroat and Garden warbler, were not seen, and maybe Hobby, or Black Headed Gull, might have shown up.

If the weather clears up I might go back out and try to find some of the missing species. If I do i'll put it on tomorrows post. I'm off now for some scotch and honey, a cold remedy recommended by a fellow blogger, thanks for that Greenie, oh wise one. :-)



Photo chances were at a premium this morming, it was so dull. but here's a newly fledged BLUE TIT begging for a morsel
Now don't laugh! below is a pic. of the flyover Red Kite. One for my records, What a bird!

Below is a PIED WAGTAIL on one of the huge diggers constructing the pipeline at migrant Alley, a good vantage point to catch insects from!

Lastly, the spotted flycatcher.