Pittswood Birds

My first full patch walk of April took place in cold, dull conditions, with a blustery wind. As I left the house at 06:30 there was hardly any birdsong, just the hardy resident species, like ROBIN, WREN, DUNOCK, BLACKBIRD and SONGTHRUSH were attempting any territorial singing. At this time of year the early morning should be bursting with sound!

I added 6 species to the April list this morning, the first was a pair of GREYLAG GEESE (46) that flew over the Tree Nursery, followed shortly after by two MEADOW PIPITS (47) that flew over the Pub Field. Migrant Alley was mostly deserted, just the WOODPIGEONS, Corvids, and a few flyover PIED WAGTAILS braved the strong cold wind there. In the College Grounds two REDWING (48)
were found, these could well be the last seen until the Autumn, a good winter species to get on the April list. On the return walk across Migrant Alley a SPARROWHAWK went over, as did my first BLACK HEADED GULL (49) of the month, and in the Tall Hedge two YELLOW HAMMERS (50) were perched, bringing up the 50th species for April.

The cold, dull conditions prevailed throughout the second part of my walk, and the strong wind made it hard to hear bird calls as I searched the scrub area around the lake, but the CHIFFCHAFF had found their voice, as had a BLACKCAP, my second of the year, and first one to be heard in song. On the lake it was 'as you were' with CANADA GEESE and MALLARD, all the MOORHEN seem to have moved off to the Wet Woods. As I left, a familiar, busy twittering filled my ears - it was a
SWALLOW (51), that flew low over headed NE.

I had just about finished the walk for the morning, when heavy rain moved in, it lasted for 3 hours, but it moved off as just as rapidly it had arrived, and I got an hours watching the sky at Migrant Alley from 15:00hrs. Not that I found anything new for the day, but another Swallow flying NW was proof that summer is edging ever closer.

The camera stayed at home today so no photo's - not even of a Treecreeper!