Pittswood Birds

Back out onto my patch again this morning in just about perfect conditions, warm, still, and partly cloudy. I was looking forward to checking out the tall hedge at Migrant Alley, but this morning I was to be disappointed, there were no migrants there today, just a YELLOWHAMMER. The weedy edges of the Maize crop were sadly also without any migrant species, but the SKYLARKS, LINNETS and PIED WAGTAILS were still there.

It wasn't until the last set of horse paddocks that a passage Migrant turned up, two YELLOW WAGTAILS were feeding around the horses legs, I hope to record this species most weeks now, right into Sept.

The walk around the College grounds and the stream there, gave me some good birds for the daylist, the SPOTTED FLYCATCHER family were back - well 3 of them anyway! Also a WILLOW WARBLER for the third day running, it fed in a mixed flock of birds which included 2 TREECREEPERS, 4 GOLDCREST, and 2 COAL TITS which looked really smart in their new plumage, especially in the low morning light.

Back out across Migrant Alley heading for home and a half time break, a HOBBY was seen speeding low over the Maize, just in time to plunder the hundred or so Pied Wagtails that were being freed from the greenhouses by the Automatic window system. I wonder if the Hobby has learnt this behaviour, and times his morning rounds with the Wagtail fest ?

The second half of my walk was carried out in ever warmer conditions, and the birds slowly became more elusive as the temperature rose. I added a few more woodland species to my daylist, BULLFINCH, NUTHATCH, BLACKCAP, STOCK DOVE and also a GREY HERON which was on the lake fishing. The list was on 48 species, so to try and make the 50 I went back over to Migrant Alley for a skywatch, I did better than I thought I would though, as I added KESTREL, SPARROWHAWK and LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL, as well as a COMMMON BUZZARD, one of 4 that were seen soaring over the high ground to the North. So the visit ended on 52 an exceptional august Total again, maybe i'll do a quick evening stint later!!


Above: a Male Swallow, perched on a telephone line over the college stables.

Above: An Immature Yellow Wagtail, seen in the Paddocks

Above: Something of a rareity! A group of HOUSE SPARROWS

Below: One of the Four Buzzards that were seen.

Lastly, A female Common Darter, ive not had many dragon flies on my patch this year.