Pittswood Birds

Once again the weather was a feature on my afternoon patch walk today, though not as wet, there was a strong, and strengthening southerly wind blowing, but the showers remained light and squally.

Despite the conditions, I was again itching to get out and check the lake over, after yesterdays Little Grebe sighting I was feeling lucky! I passed through the small holding, and saw a flock of mixed CHAFFINCH and GOLDFINCH, they were tossed around like dried leaves in the wind, but managed to perch up in a hawthorn bush, where I checked them out unsuccessfully for for an elusive Brambling. A GREEN WOODPECKER, JAY and PIED WAGTAIL were under the pear trees, and a few BLUE and GREAT TITS were around the hedge.

I reached the wet woods, and was relieved not to have the wind blasting into me, but the roar of it in the tree tops meant the high pitched calls of any Goldcrest or Treecreeper that might have been there would be impossible to hear, but the much louder, stronger, ''kek'' of the GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER was heard. As I came out of the woods, and walked the footpath that leads to the lake area, I checked the well wooded gardens on each side of me, hoping to flush up a Woodcock, as I have done once in the past, or maybe locate a feeding flock of Long tailed tits, with a Firecrest among them, which I have also had the fortunate experience of doing - you can tell how optimistic I felt today! However neither happened, and I eagerly reached the lake, anticipating finding something different, or just to re-find yesterdays Grebe or sundays Coot. Upon scanning the water I was brought back down with a bump, it was back to MALLARDS and MOORHENS ! I counted 48 of the former and 7 of the later, and despite hanging around and continually checking the overhanging tree line, I couldn't find the Grebe. It may have been hiding up, as they can be very elusive, hopefully it was, and i'll find it again later this week.

I checked the garden feeders of the nearby house, finding the feeders empty, but in some alder trees close by was a small group of SISKIN, the scrubby area close by held a few BULLFINCH, but thats all I could find, the wind was making it impossible to pick out any bird calls, except that of the overwintering MARSH TIT, that ''pitchooed'' from a nearby hawthorn.

After only being out for around 90 mins, thick dark cloud came over, and a splattering of rain arrived, time for me to head off home, it was almost dark by 15:45! So no more new species were found for the November list, but I think Ive still got some enthusiasm left to get out again tomorrow. :-)