Pittswood Birds

I had thought that today was going to be a washout, but I was looking at the wrong date on the weather site yesterday, it's tomorrow that's going to be a washout, this makes much more sense as it's the weekend :-)

Today in fact started foggy and frosty, the fog only lifted slowly into a thin mist, which by 14:30 lifted just enough for some very hazy sunshine to be had for my afternoon patch visit.

A good few winter thrushes were seen on a ''dead'' field adjacent to the Small holding, I say dead because it's just a mown grass field that is home to nothing more than a few corvids and woodpigeons for 99% of the year, but today it was being used by around 45 FIELDFARE and 13 REDWING. In the Small Holding 2 MISTLE THRUSH were chasing around the old pear trees, while on the Alpaca enclosure, CHAFFINCH, GREENFINCH, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, SONGTHRUSH, and another couple of Redwing were feeding.

Not much was happening in the Wet Woods, MALLARDS were again on the woodland flood, and both NUTHATCH and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER called, SISKINS were spread thinly in the many Alder trees, probably around 20 birds being present, the LONG TAILED TITS were also seen, but were very high up in the large Oaks today.

Walking to the lakes via the footpath from the woods, two GOLDCRESTS were seen in the adjacent wooded garden, the only two seen today, the lawned garden on the other side of me had two GREEN WOODPECKERS, and a pair of Mistle Thrush, they were guarding a bush full of red berries, i'd prefer a Waxwing on them though! On the lakes, it was initially a great disappointment, just 2 CANADA GEESE were the only birds on the water, however as I scanned the overhanging branches on the small lake, I spied the orange breast of a KINGFISHER (57), it then spied me and flew off for better cover :-) at last something to add to the months list!

The usual walk was had around the Scrubby Wood, but it seemed very subdued, I found the reason why a few moments later, when a female SPARROWHAWK came through fast and low, then proceeded to circle overhead, I just cant get away from this bird! ( earlier I had found the remains of a Great Tit in the garden, no doubt her doing!) All that was left to see after that was this WOODPIGEON :-)

There she goes! back to my garden feeders I suppose :-)

A quick look over at the Pub field / Tree Nursery only gave me views of some more Fieldfare on the maize stubbles, and a KESTREL on the hedgerow that separates the Nursery and the Pub Field.

A peak at the Sheep pasture over at Migrant Alley, was not really worth getting cold for, 32 BLACK HEADED GULLS, 43 JACKDAWS, 52 ROOKS and lots of WOODPIGEONS didn't keep me in the cold wind for long!

Back at home I again said hello to the female Sprawk, she was in the evergreen tree at the bottom of the garden, but after seeing her off gently, the tits soon came in to feed, allowing me a snapshot of this COAL TIT.