Pittswood Birds

It was either raining, sleeting or snowing from dawn till dusk today. While walking home from work it was sleet, being driven along by a keen north wind, I didn't bother getting my bins out of my bag, but I didn't need them to see the largish flock of REDWING/FIELDFARE that were on the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley, about 200 birds were there, mostly Fieldfare.

I got home, and whilst eating a quick lunch I saw the garden feeders were very busy, I counted 9 GOLDFINCH, 11 GREENFINCH and 18 CHAFFINCH, the latter is a good count, as I rarely see flocks of Chaffinch on my patch.

The sleet had turned to wet snow, and was coming down in big wet lumps, I wasn't going to find much out on my patch this afternoon, but I decided I would go and check the lake out - just in case something had dropped in :-)

I got to the lake, not really stopping at the Small holding and Wet Woods on the way, and found only the 4 CANADA GEESE that were there yesterday, no sign of the Coot, but it was hard to see across the water into the overhanging bushes with all the snow blowing around, so it may have been hiding up.

Once I was happy that there was nowt to be found on the water, I speedily marched back home, only stopping to scan through a LONG TAILED TIT flock that was on the edge of the wet woods/small holding, I didn't find anything interesting feeding with them!

I watched the garden feeders for an hour or so, and logged 16 species, the best of which was the returning BRAMBLING (55), I last saw it on the 31 Jan. A cracking bird to look at, it certainly brightened up a gloomy old day.

These photo's of a Male (below) and Female Chaffinch, were taken at the weekend, no chance of any photographs in todays conditions.