Pittswood Birds

When I got home from work this afternoon, a shaft of sunlight lit the garden, and the cloud seemed to lift and thin, tempting me to take the camera out for my walk over to the lakes - Fool!!

Before I even got to the lakes, the dark clouds rolled in again, making my walk through the Wet Woods seem like it was dusk, as the light faded away, I could barely see the MALLARDS on the woodland pools, the gloom was that bad.

Rain started to fall as I neared the lakes, so I quickly walked round them, scanning the water and over hanging trees, there wasn't a single Mallard today, 2 MOORHENS, 2 CANADA GEESE and a fishing CORMORANT were the only occupants. I watched the Cormorant get two decent size fish, before it left, good on him, I just wish he could tackle some of those big Carp that are in there!

The rain came down in pulses, light one moment heavy the next, and I tucked the camera into my coat before setting off for yet another soggy walk around the scrubby woods, I found a TREECREEPER, a GOLDCREST and a NUTHATCH amongst a troop of 8 LONG TAILED TITS, SONGTHRUSH, BLACKBIRD and REDWING were seen on the brambly woodland floor, and around 200 WOODPIGEON filtered down into the Oak trees around me, driven in by the blast of the gas cannons. I counted no fewer than 24 blasts in the hour I spent around the woods and the walk back home - totally excessive and unnecessary in my opinion !!

Walking home across the Tree Nursery, I heard the rattle of a MISTLE THRUSH from above me, and squinting through the rain I saw it was mobbing a passing SPARROWHAWK, that was the last action of another lost day!

The weekend looks to be little better, but I might just get my first full patch walk of the month in tomorrow, before the rain comes in again, hopefully finding a couple of new species for the month, the total of which is languishing on 55, at the moment that's the second lowest February total, out of the ten February's of recording.