Pittswood Birds

I had to be back home for 10:00am this morning, but still managed a 4 hour full patch walk. A good total of 49 Species was recorded, but still missing the likes of Long Tailed Tit and Pheasant, also Turtle Dove which appear to have left my patch now.

Once again the WILLOW WARBLER was recorded at the College Stream, it actually gave some song, one of my favourites. With it were a party of GOLDCRESTS and a family group of WHITETHROATS. In the College Grounds the SPOTTED FLYCATCHER was relocated, and a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL was seen flying over.

Not much Happening at the Paddocks and Pasture at Migrant Alley, one of the PEREGRINES flew over calling loudly, and 5 SKYLARKS were in the now regenerating pasture, but I'm still looking for the years first Whinchat to turn up there, or maybe a Yellow Wagtail or Wheatear to help along the months list. Talking of Which, I did add REED BUNTING (65), a single female was found in the Greenhouse Complex Grounds, a real good find, as this is only the second one to be recorded on my patch this year.

Over at the Lakeside Scrub, I found an enclosed sheltered area, where the sun had been shining down, warming up the ripe Blackberries and Elder Berries. Here I recorded a whole host of Species including: BLUE and GREAT TIT, CHAFFINCH and BULLFINCH, CHIFFCHAFF, BLACKCAP, SONGTHRUSH, BLACKBIRD, WREN, DUNNOCK, ROBIN and best of all at least two GARDEN WARBLERS (66) another species for the August list, which is really cracking on now, just 5 species needed to take the August record :-). I watched for a good 20 minutes, until the feeding was interrupted, predictably, by a female SPARROWHAWK.

As I left the area, a CORMORANT circled over the lakes, but I couldn't tell if it alighted on any. Eight SWIFTS were seen leisurely flying SW as I walked the Tree Nursery. All in all another good Visit :-)

The day got even better though, as around 3:15 this afternoon, I happened to be watching the sky out to the front of my house, when I spotted what I thought to be a large bird in the distance, I got my bins on to it, and was well pleased to see that it was in fact 5 EGYPTIAN GEESE (97, 67), they flew nearer, until they went straight over, Which Makes them the 91st species to be seen from my house! I now need just 3 for my target of 100 species for this year, and 4 for the August record :-) The last time I had Egyptian Geese on the year list was back in April 2008, the only other record concerned of flock of 7, back in 2005 that came down to the main lake

Photo's today.

A Female Blackbird

Spotted Flycatcher

Swallow

and lastly a Greenfinch.