Pittswood Birds

Dawn seemed slow to arrive this morning, I had to wait for it to get light, but at 05:30 I left anyway, and was it a slow start! In gloomy, drizzly conditions, Just 13 species were recorded from my house, along Ashes lane, through the tree nursery and along the hedgerow leading to Migrant Alley, only a WREN was heard to sing, while GREEN WOODPECKER and ROBIN called, the others had to be found the hard way.
Very few birds were about, but I did still manage to winkle out a good total of 51 species today. The highlight was a YELLOW WAGTAIL which circled over Migrant Alley, then dropped down into the far edge of the Maize crop. Second best bird species seen was a HOBBY, two in fact, they chased the SWALLOWS and HOUSE MARTINS over the College stables and out over the Maize and paddocks, a while later a SPARROWHAWK did the same, poor old hirundines! A KESTREL flew purposely over - a new species for the month, but the fourth species of raptor was only seen over the high ground to the north of my patch, no less than five Buzzards were up.
Two more species were added to the August list, a GREY HERON that was fishing on the lake, and a MARSH TIT that was with a feeding flock of other Tit species, as well as a couple of TREECREEPERS and at least two NUTHATCH'S, all which fed in a large oak on the edge of the wet woods. I had a good look round the lakeside scrub area for Lesser Whitethroat and Garden warbler, but the local breeding birds seem to have left already, i'll have to hope I pick them up as migrants passing through. The Swifts have certainly gone now, ive not seen any since I saw 6 over the house on Aug 1st, although I might just see a late one coming through.

Below is the Kestrel that flew over, too quick for me though!

................This DUNNOCK posed nicely, once the sun came out.

Above and Below - Purple Hairstreak! Well, not purple at all now, just a worn brown colour.

And a Speckled Wood Buttefly