Pittswood Birds

Another cold and grey start to the day, with a biting N wind blowing, but I still managed to add a couple of birds to the months list as I walked to work early this morning. The first was a PIED WAGTAIL (45) , this was found where I looked, and failed to find one yesterday afternoon, at the Greenhouse Complex. The other new March species was a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL (46), this was feeding on the College sports pitch, along with 30-40 BLACK HEADED GULLS.

After work this afternoon, the cloud dispersed, and some longed for sunshine broke through, as was the case yesterday, out of the wind it felt quite warm. My walk over to the lakes was mostly uneventful, the birds were seeking cover from the wind, but I knew the best place to look for them, this was in the western end of the Wet Woods, where the sun shone through the trees and there was shelter from the wind.

Sure enough, I found the common Tit species, BLUE and GREAT, as well as the scarcer COAL and LONG TAILED TIT, with them were two TREECREEPERS and two GOLDCREST as well as a single NUTHATCH, they weren't in a tight feeding flock as they are found in the depths winter, but were loosely associating with each other.

After attempting a few photographs, I moved on to the lake and scrubby wood, where of course I looked for the COOTS which, I only could see one of, but the other may of been concealed somewhere, I hope so :-). Also on the water today were 4 CANADA GEESE, 4 MALLARD and two MOORHEN.

The Scrubby wood didn't have much singing going on, apart from that is, the SISKINS, small parties were flying from oak to oak, singing away, they won't be here much longer now. I found some more Long Tailed Tits, and another Goldcrest, as well as hearing a few BULLFINCH, but the highlight of the day was flushing up a WOODCOCK (47) , I had good views of it's chestnut rump and back as it flew off deeper into the scrub, superb find !

A short visit to the Tree Nursery and Pub Field was made, but little was seen, a lone FIELDFARE was in the Pub Field, they really are getting few and far between on my patch now, better start noting down the date each time I see one, as it could be the last date any time now, although I do recorded them right up to the end of March, and into April in some years.

My brief visit to Migrant Alley, wasn't particularly fruitful, but as I watched both PEREGRINES (48) on the tower in Hadlow, they both took turns at flying off for a sortie over the sheep pasture, albeit high up.

With four new species for the month, it wasn't a bad day today, made all the better for a bit of sunshine. :-)

Above is one of the Canada Geese on the main lake, and below is a Goldcrest from the Wet Woods.

These two Long Tailed Tits were in the Scrubby Wood

I just had enough time before tea, to wait and see if the BRAMBLING would show up at my garden feeders, it did, but frustratingly it posed in front of some leaves, so the camera wouldn't quite focus, none the less it's quite a fun photo!

I also took a quick snap of one of the GOLDFINCH'S :-)