Pittswood Birds

I had every intention of getting up and going out onto my patch this morning, but after spending much of the night coughing, and sneezing, I woke up feeling a bit rough still, perhaps I'll get out for my first full patch walk of December tomorrow!

After some early showers in the morning, the sun came out for a couple of hours, and I couldn't resist the temptation to go over to the lake. I wrapped up warm, dosed myself up with paracetamol and spent 40 mins or so out in the fresh air.

As it was mid-morning I didn't expect to see much, but I just wanted to try and clear my head and chest with some cool air - it did seem to help for a while! On my walk I did manage to see 4 new species for the month. Firstly a MARSH TIT that was seen along the footpath between the wet woods and lake area, as I watched it a SPARROWHAWK whipped past just feet over the yew bush it was calling from, a lucky break for the tit, and for me, I would hate to lose the only Marsh Tit on my patch to a Sprawk!

I got to the lake and predictably only found MALLARD and MOORHEN there, but I also got good views of a NUTHATCH, as it sat atop an evergreen tree, and also heard a few BULLFINCH calling from the surrounding scrub areas.

The third new species for the month was a couple of flyover LESSER REDPOLL, seen as I walked back home along the edge of the wet woods, and Marchants field, where also the last of the new months species was seen - a PHEASANT, that just about wrapped up my short foray into the world of the living, and I got home to a telling off from the wife for going out in the first place. :-)

Decembers list now stands at a poor 46, but there are still some reatively easy species to be found, like Greylag and Canada Geese, Yellowhammer, Meadow Pipit and Grey Heron, but after them it will get difficult!



I took a few garden pics during the last hour of the sunshine, this male CHAFFINCH came out quite well.
The COAL TIT below is difficult to photograph, it just doesn't stop moving.

Above and below, my large 12 port sunflower heart feeder was full of GREENFINCH

The Nuthatch below was taken whilst out on my walk

As was this Robin