Pittswood Birds

This morning was dull and cloudy, but at least the wind had dropped out. To the west of my patch the sky was clear and blue, the above photo shows the extent to which the brighter weather reached, never getting to Pittswood.

I spent the first two hours after dawn visiting the lake area, as I passed through the Small Holding on the way, 14 female PHEASANTS were seen, along with 4 finch species BULLFINCH, GREENFINCH, GOLDFINCH and CHAFFINCH. Walking through the Wet Woods, I saw that the pools of water have began to appear again after the recent rain, maybe if they continue to fill, a Teal might be recorded here later in the month. Just GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, TREECREEPER and a flyover LESSER REDPOLL were recorded here today though.

I quickly added more woodland species as I walked the footpath to the main lake, NUTHATCH'S were calling from the large Oaks, and lower down a flock of LONG TAILED TITS were feeding with all the associated GREAT TIT, BLUE TIT, COAL TIT, MARSH TIT and GOLDCREST.

The initial scan of the main lake proved fruitless for anything exciting, just 8 MALLARDS, 4 MOORHEN and a GREY HERON were seen, but a few minutes later, as I walked between the main lake and the ornamental lake, I heard a double splash, looking round onto the main Lake I saw that the two GOOSANDERS had returned, superb!

One of the Goosander.

A scan of the small lake provided two CANADA GEESE for the day list, and whilst I walked the nearby scrub 3 FIELDFARE flew over

The second half of my patch visit, to the Tree Nursery, Pub Field, Migrant Alley and the College grounds proved to be interesting for the months list, 4 GREYLAG GEESE (60) flew over the College Grounds and a CHIFFCHAFF (61) was seen in the hedgerow that divides Migrant Alley from the Greenhouses, this must be an overwintering bird rather than a very late summer departure, so i may well see it again, either way its a good bird to bring the months species list to 60 :-), and takes this Novembers list into third place of nine.

In that same hedgerow I found a flock of 16 GOLDFINCH with 4 SISKIN joining them, as well as more Blue and Great Tits and a little more unusual a Treecreeper.

48 species were seen in the four hour walk today, a good total for a November day. Looks like another wet one tomorrow though :-(

Above: some of the 33 Canada Geese that flew over Migrant Alley

Below a BLACKBIRD

Here's an attemted shot of the Chiffchaff :-)