Pittswood Birds

Today was much more interesting than yesterday, especially first thing this morning as I walked to work. There were a few bits and pieces around Migrant Alley, a MEADOW PIPIT that alighted on a fence rail had me excited for a moment, I thought it may have been a Wheatear at first ! More interesting was a new species for the month, 3 LAPWING (64) flew up from the Sheep pasture, which is now populated with sheep and lambs.

2 GREYLAG GEESE flew over, and a SPARRROWHAWK chased a flock of FIELDFARE, before settling on a fence post for a rest. A dozen REDWING were feeding in the College Grounds still.

The walk home was also eventful, 4 Meadow Pipits were amongst the sheep with 3 PIED WAGTAILS, and along the boundary hedgerow I heard, then located, a female REED BUNTING (72, 65) calling, the first this year, this species is seldom seen on my patch, but in winter if there is a stubble field left unploughed, small numbers do appear, otherwise is is just recorded as a passage bird in the spring and autumn.

This afternoons Chiffchaff hunt was again negative, but they must be close now. I looked round the wet woods and scrub, and through the tree nursery, and round Migrant Alley, but they were not found. The resident TREECREEPER, COAL TIT, and GOLDCREST were all heard in song, LONG TAILED TITS were seen around the lake area, where 2 CANADA GEESE were on each of the 3 lakes, the Ornimental lake was home to the COOT again, back from hiding :-), but there was no sign of the second Coot seen on the main lake on Monday.

The months list moves on to a more respectable 65, just 4 behind last March's record total, whilst the 72 species for the year, is 9 below where it stood at the end of last March.


Back out from hiding the Coot, also a Canada Goose on the Ornimental lake

Below is a Lamb from Migrant alley, this will be the only photo of one, I promise!