Pittswood Birds

Ring Necked parakeet

Ideal birding conditions This morning, sunny, and frosty with little wind, unfortunately I had to work, and for the second day in a row, by the time I had finished the cloud had started to roll in.

So it was with the light diminishing fast that I once again visited the Lakes and scrub area, checking through the woods on the way for that Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, no sign of one though, just its larger relative the GREAT SPOTTED. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, along with the Golden Plover, are just about the only new year species that ive got a reasonable chance of finding, it would be great to get both, and so set a new record year list!

Onwards to the lakes, and it was, as is usually the case, a disappointment, just 12 MALLARDS and 4 MOORHEN were on the water, but the place had been disturbed already, I can usually tell by the lack of spider webs hitting my face as I pass along the footpath, and the fact that the Woodpigeons have already been flushed.

Whilst scanning the water and bankside Vegetation, I could see and hear a small flock of SISKIN flying around an alder tree, also a LESSER REDPOLL went over calling. FIELDFARE and REDWING called as they flew from one part of my patch to another, and that other large thrush, the MISTLE THRUSH was seen, 3 in fact were having a dispute at the top of a large Oak.

The only real excitement for the afternoon came as I was walking through the scrub, looking for, but failing to find, a feeding flock of Tits to photograph. After whinging yesterday about the lack of visits from the tower falcon, the PEREGRINE (63) at last paid a visit, it was the male judging by its size. As it flew low over the tree tops and out of sight, I heard the raucous call of a RING NECKED PARAKEET (64) coming from the direction the Peregrine went, the Parakeet had obviously seen the Peregrine and was not very happy !

Those two species take the months total to 64, which is in joint second place with last November and just 2 behind the record November set in 2008. Looking back at what was seen last November, there were 7 species seen which have not yet been recorded this November, Little Grebe ( which I haven't had this year at all), Little Egret, Mandarin Duck, Coot, Snipe, Little Owl and Blackcap, so it could yet turn out be a very good month!