Pittswood Birds

I left 15 mins early for work this morning to allow me some time to check Migrant Alley out before work, unfortunately the area was shrouded in a dense fog, so there may have been scores of wheatear on the fields, but I wouldn't have been able to see them! I did see a pair of GOLDCREST in the Greenhouse Complex grounds as I passed through it, and another was heard in the College Grounds, where two REDWING were chirping away merily in a rowan tree.

This afternoon the fog had lifted into a low gloomy cloud, and occasional drizzle fell from it - another nice afternoon :-). I gave the lake area and Wet Woods a miss today, and went through the Tree Nursery, across the Pub Field and round Migrant alley, ending in a 40 min skywatch.

Only common species were seen in the Tree Nursery, DUNNOCK, BLACKBIRD, SONG THRUSH, GREAT and BLUE TITS as well as the WOODPIGEONS of course. That was much more than was seen in the Pub Fied though, just a few PIED WAGTAILS were on the mountain of manure that now lies there. The field across the way (off my patch to the south) was being muck spreaded, so it will soon be the turn of the Pub Field, the stench of it was horrendous, but it always brings a smile to my face, i'm just perverse like that :-)

A circuit around the sheep pasture and paddocks at Migrant Alley was a dull, damp, and disappointing affair. The odd CARRION CROW was seen, a few STARLINGS, two immature BLACK HEADED GULLS and a pair of MISTLE THRUSH. The skywatch was very poor, I may as well of nooded off to sleep, only two MEADOW PIPITS, a YELLOWHAMMER and a SKYLARK went over, and the KESTREL was about, as well as a female SPARROWHAWK. As I left for home two CANADA GEESE flew down onto the empty sheep pasture, and a check of the short row of a dozen Alder tree's was worth the effort, as two CHAFFINCH, two GOLDFINCH, a GREEN WOODPECKER and a pair of LESSER REDPOLLS were seen.

It's going to be a close thing to beat the March record species total of 69, I need just two more species, but have just 8 days to find them. I might just get a Teal in the wet woods, or a Grey Wagtail along the colllege stream, an early Swallow or Sand Martin would help!


Two Canada Geese flying in as I leave for home.

Speaking of home, I checked the garden feeders out and saw 3 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS all feeding happily together, strange to see so many together. There was also a flock of 47 Redwings in the tree tops over at the Small Holding, which I can see from my upstairs window.