Pittswood Birds

More snow fell overnight, and kept falling right up till midday, but it was quite light snow and added little to the already standing stuff.

This afternoon felt alot warmer than yesterday, and a few more bird species were noted as I walked the Small Holding, Wet Woods and Lake area, only the common stuff, WREN, ROBIN, DUNNOCK, BLUE and GREAT TIT, with a few CHAFFINCH were in the small holding habitat. In the wet woods the recently fallen snow was melting and dripping from the tree's, so I didn't hang about here, but I manged to find a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, COAL TIT and a MISTLE THRUSH, as well as more Blue and Great Tits. The lake was still frozen from bank to bank, and not a thing was on it, a check of the adjacent garden feeders didn't provide me with a Brambling, (will I get one on the list this year ? ) but plenty of GREENFINCH, GOLDFINCH and more Chaffinch were at the seed feeders. I checked the nearby Ash tree for BULLFINCH and sure enough 3 males and two females were feeding on the keys.

On my way out of the lake area, I walked down the side of the wet woods along marchants field, and found the LITTLE OWL at its usual roost (too dull for any photo's though). Next stop was Migrant Alley, and as I crossed the Tree Nursery to get there, the first CORMORANT (58) of the year flew over, heading for the lake, where it was no doubt disappointed to see it all the ice!

At Migrant Alley I sat on a fence rail and waited for something new to fly over, but despite a cold, hour long vigil, nothing was added to the year list. Birds I did see included two HERRING GULL, two STARLING, two flocks of JACKDAWS (one of 12 and one of 16), a few WOODPIGEONS, ROOKS and CARRION CROWS, a lone Mistle Thrush and a PIED WAGTAIL that was calling repeatedly from the gloom, but was never observed!

Apparantly less cold weather is on the way hoorah! lets get that lake defrosted!