Pittswood Birds

Above and Below: Juv. GREAT TIT from my garden

Below is the Male Broad Bodied Chaser

Below is a Holly Blue Butterfly

Lastly the verbena ''type'' shrub, which the Butterflies were all over this afternoon

As you can see ive managed to put the photo's on before the text - doh!

The fine, warm weather continued today, and it was a pleasure walking to work without a hat and fleece. The warm morning brought out the song in a few birds, including COAL TIT, GOLDCREST, and BLACKCAP, all heard in the College Grounds, plus SKYLARK and TURTLE DOVE at Migrant Alley, while WHITETHROATS were singing along ashes Lane and in the grounds of the Greenhouse Complex.

By the time I got out this afternoon, much of the sunshine had gone (as usual !) but it remained very warm and bright, the only birds left singing were the Whitethroats along Ashes lane.

I did the same routine as yesterday - two hours in the Tree Nursery looking for Butterflies, but I also checked out the run off pool at the far end, where I found a Male Broad Bodied Chaser, plus a few Damselflies, Blue Tailed, Common Blue, and Azure Blue. Whilst trying and failing to get pictures of the Damsels, I was kept under close scrutiny by a female MALLARD and a MOORHEN, both had young with them.

I had quite a good session with the Butterflies in the Tree Nursery, finds included ; Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Peacock, Large Skipper and most surprising at least 10 Small Tortoiseshells, there were hardly any of this species two years ago. All the above Butterflies were found flying around some Verbena 'Type' shrubs (see last photo). I had no luck at all photographing them, as they wouldn't keep still, when they did, another butterfly would come along and an aeriel battle would ensue!

Not much else happening on the bird front, just the normal KESTREL up hunting, and a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL were noted going over.