Pittswood Birds

The fine weather continued for the start of my holiday patch walks, where I was once again on the lookout for any summer migrants, but once more I was to be frustrated, the Cuckoo, Whitethroat, House and Sandmartin, all which are due, were not to be seen this morning, but they will show up very soon now.

Of the summer migrants that have arrived, the CHIFCHAFF and BLACKCAP were enjoying the sunshine, singing loudly from the lakeside scrub and the college grounds, Swallows were zooming over the college stables and Migrant Alley, and my second WILLOW WARBLER (59) of the year was seen feeding on the insects attracted to the sallows, which are growing along the footpath from the Wet Woods to the Lake area, good to get the months list moving again! Another addition to the months list was a bit of a bonus bird, a single LAPWING (60) flew over whilst I crossed the College sports pitch.

Other flyovers today included: BUZZARD, SPARROWHAWK and KESTREL, as well as LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL, HERRING GULL, GREYLAG GOOSE and more unusually a NUTHATCH, which flew over the college stables and onto the small wood/scrub at the north end of Migrant Alley.

The days total was a little below par, on 45 species, but the likes of Coal Tit, Long Tailed Tit, and Treecreeper didn't show this morning, but I know they are there somewhere!

This afternoon I went over to my skywatching seat at Migrant Alley for an hour or so, and was pleased to see a lone SANDMARTIN (80, 61) go by, headed NE, so I did get a new migrant for the year after all, these are a difficult species to find on my patch during spring passage, and todays sighting is only the third spring out of 9 that I have recorded one.



Above: Chiffchaff Below : Goldcrest

Below: Flyover Greylag Geese