Pittswood Birds

The usual afternoon stroll produced few things of note, especially as a strong wind had come up. Most of the 2 hour visit was spent around Migrant Alley, as the scrubby headland there provided a bit of shelter from the wind.
It was here that I found a few Large skipper butterflies, a Speckled Wood, and an Emperor Dragonfly - very impressive.

Birdwise it was SWIFTS, SWALLOWS and a few HOUSE MARTINS that claimed the attention for most of the time, but a KESTREL hunted around the paddocks and maize crop for much of the time I was out, and a male SPARROWHAWK came through on the prowl, but it was easily seen by the Swallows and PIED WAGTAILS, and their alarm call gave it no chance of surprising one of the LINNETS or STARLINGS, small gatherings of which were on the sheep pasture.

HERRING and LESSER BLACK GULLS passed overhead, but that was it for the skywatch. On the way home a Painted lady Butterfly was seen by the greenhouses, looking the worse for ware, it seems a long time ago now that they were pouring through the countryside!


Below is a couple of pics. of a Juv. Pied Wagtail, it was picking off insects from the horse manure pile, along with Juv. HOUSE SPARROWS and a ROBIN.

Above is a Male Large Skipper, told by the black scent glands on it's forwing, below is the Female. ( If Ive been learning from Greenie correctly that is! )

Below is the now tatty painted Lady.

Below is a Cherry tree that was by the manure heap. It was full of ripe fruit, and so a good place to stake out for feeding thrushes and the like, so I thought! But not a single bird was interested in the Cherries. It seems only the insects are favoured at this time of year. You can see how windy it was today by the bent branches!