Pittswood Birds

Below: View along the eastern edge of the Wet Woods, Looking North, over the tree Nursery and Greenhouses.

The weather had changed this morning, gone was the wind, and the grey skies had cracked open to allow some sunny spells. The improvement in the weather brought about an increase in bird activity, my pencil was kept busy from the off, with all the common early morning species seen or heard, those being ROBIN, WREN, DUNNOCK, BLACKBIRD, and BLUE TIT, more surprisingly was a KESTREL that sat atop a tree along Ashes Lane.

17 CANADA GEESE were on the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley, where both winter thrushes, REDWING and FIELDFARE were seen flying over. A flock of at least 8 SISKINS fed in an alder along the College Stream, and in the College Grounds GOLDCREST, and BULLFINCH were seen close up, but avoided my camera.

The second part of my walk provided me with much excitement today, the visit to the lakes was particularly pleasing as I recorded a patch tick ! Amongst the 44 MALLARDS and 7 MOORHEN on the main lake, was the first WIGEON (132, 108, 53) to visit my patch, great to have a different duck on the water at last ! I took some poor photo's of it, the sun had gone by now and I was in deep cover so as not to flush it, but it is at least a photographic record for my archives :-)

Whilst celebrating my good fortune, I noted TREECREEPER, MARSH TIT, COAL TIT and LONG TAILED TIT all feeding along the bankside vegetation, but a more scarcer visitor was found in the nearby garden, my first LESSER REDPOLL (54) of the month was seen coming down to drink from the sheltered pond there.

As I still had time, I took another walk over to the Tree Nursery and Migrant Alley, which proved worth the effort, for as well as adding MEADOW PIPIT and SPARROWHAWK to the days list, I saw two MUTE SWANS (55) fly over, not a common sighting on my patch at all, this is the 7th month from 11 that they have been recorded, all single sightings. One more addition to the months list was had later in the morning when 4 COMMON BUZZARDS (56) were seen from my bedroom window as they soared high over Migrant alley. A much more interesting day today, it makes me wonder what I miss on the weekday mornings I spend at work :-(

Above: The Wigeon - star bird :-)

Above: some of the Canada Geese that were on the Sheep pasture at Migrant Alley

Below is a view up the Hedgerow that divides the Tree nursery and the Pub Field maize stubbles.

Below: My skywatching view from my bedroom window, looking North