Pittswood Birds

It didn't rain at all today, thats news in itself!

As I walked home from work this afternoon, across Migrant Alley, a female sparrowhawk flew just 15ft from me, a foot above the ground, i've not been seeing to much of the Sprawks recently.

My usual afternoon walk to the lake area was somewhat disturbed by a couple of dog walkers who were ahead of me, they turned off the footpath just before the lake, but had already scared off anything in the small holding and wet woods. Once at the lake it was just as I had left it yesterday, a few more MALLARDS had turned up, and three MOORHEN were establishing territories, a CORMORANT sat up in a large fir tree, it's usual perch. In the surrounding vegetation I again found COAL TIT and GOLDCREST, and also a FIELDFARE, unusual to seee one here, it had found some crab apples, and had them all to itself! Both SONGTHRUSH and MISTLE THRUSH were heard to sing from the scrubby area, and a quick look at the feeders in the adjacent garden provided all the common garden birds, BLUE and GREAT TIT, GOLDFINCH, CHAFFINCH, GREENFINCH, as well as a NUTHATCH.

I made a trip over to Migrant Alley in the gathering gloom, the sun was going down already, and it was only 15:30! I decided to sit on my seat and watch the area to see if anything passed over on the way to roost. I didn't wait long before two Cormorants flew over, I watched two dozen BLACK HEADED GULLS feeding out on the sheep pasture, and as I did, 3 SKYLARKS dropped in. A single MEADOW PIPIT flew over, but more interesting were 3 LESSER REDPOLL that went over going N. A cock PHEASANT was moving along the bottom of the tall hedge, which also had a WREN, a DUNNOCK, and ROBIN in it. By now it was getting quite dark, and also a bit cold, so I decided to head of home, as i did so, two groups of PIED WAGTAILS came over, and went onto the Greenhouses, where they roost, about 18 in all, but I'm sure many more will drop in later, also 23 LINNET flew over and circled the Tree Nursery, waiting for the work party to leave before they would settle down into the Laurel to roost. I also watched Chaffinch's and STARLINGS drop into a tall leylandi hedge that borders a garden, as good a place as any to roost up for the night.

Nothing new for the months list then, but i have the weekends morning visits to do yet, - weather permitting, it looks like its gong to be rain, rain, rain again!!!


Above is a Dunnock, which came out of the tall hedge as I sat on my seat at Migrant Alley. Below are the two Cormorant that flew over.