Pittswood Birds

After some heavy rain this morning, the afternoon turned out dry, bright and warm.

Walking back home from work around 13:30hrs, I found a few migrants had dropped in around the Boundary hedgerow, between Migrant Alley and the Greenhouse Complex. These included COMMON WHITETHROAT, WHINCHAT and SPOTTED FLYCATCHER, all on the same piece of fence rail, the latter species has not been recorded on this part of my patch before. Overhead at least 2 SAND MARTINS joined the throng of HOUSE MARTINS and SWALLOWS.

After lunch I returned to Migrant Alley, and for the next three hours scoured the Hedgerow, Paddocks and fence lines. The Spotted Flycatcher had disappeared, but the Whinchat was still about, using the Tall Hedge and the Greenhouse grounds to feed. Also in the Tall hedge was a CHIFFCHAFF, with two Common Whitethroats, but apart from that and a few of the normal resident species, ie WREN, DUNNOCK, ROBIN, BLACKBIRD, BLUE and GREAT TIT it was a bit disappointing.

2 SKYLARKS were flushed up from the pasture, then dropped back down a little further out, and a flock of 23 LINNETS were on the paddocks, with two GREEN WOODPECKERS. The only Raptor seen today was a PEREGRINE, one of the locals, and the only GULL species was a few flyover HERRING GULLS.

Not much for my 3 hours, and i'm still looking for a Mistle Thrush :-). I'm sure the Meadow Pipits will arrive soon, their 'seep seep' calls will be a welcome sound, last year they had already arrived by the 5th, but that was the earliest date ever, the mean arrival date for them is the 11th Sept.

I took a few mediocre photo's today. Below is yet another Whinchat. I cant get fed up with these :-) The record breaking passage continues!

Below is a Chiffchaff

Below is my usual view of a Common Whitethroat :-)

Lastly, this Small Copper was a nice surprise find in the Greenhouse Grounds. It doesn't look to bad either considering the poor weather it has had to endure !