Pittswood Birds

Sorry for the way all the text has appeared with no breaks, blogger didn't put in my paragraphs!! It was overcast but bright for the last full patch walk of March, the cloud did eventually break mid morning to allow some hazy warm sunshine through, not too bad at all. Just before leaving this morning, I saw the male BRAMBLING under the feeders picking up spilt sunflower hearts, a good start :-) Setting off down Ashes lane it was quite evident that the brighter conditions were much more conducive for bird song, a multitude of WREN, DUNNOCK, ROBIN, GREENFINCH, CHAFFINCH, BLACKBIRD and SONGTHRUSH song had me scribbling away in the note book, calling from BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, STARLING and PIED WAGTAIL, as well as the more raucous calls from JACKDAWS, CARRION CROWS, and MAGPIES all played their part in proceedings. A GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER could be heard drumming from the Wet Woods, and flyovers from both GREYLAG and CANADA GEESE, plus WOODPIGEON made up 18 species before I travelled 200 yards! Things quietened down a bit as I entered the more degraded habitat of the Tree Nursery, and Pub Field, but COLLARED DOVE, PHEASANT and a flyover BLACKHEADED GULL kept the list ticking along. No migrants were observed at Migrant Alley, despite much scanning of paddocks and fencelines, just the ROOKS were added to the notebook, so I moved on to the College Grounds, and it was here where the College borders onto the stream, that I heard my first BLACKCAP (78,65) of the spring, what songsters they are!! A walk through the grounds had me finding more of the common species, but a couple of singing GOLDCREST, plus multiple CHIFFCHAFFS and a MISTLE THRUSH joined the daylist. After making my way back home for a snack and a drink, I set of out for the lakes, via the Small Holding and Wet woods. HOUSE SPARROWS lined the guttering of a house as I entered the Small Holding, where I found 2 LINNETS, 4 GOLDFINCH and a GREEN WOODPECKER. Before even entering the Wet Woods I could here a NUTHATCH calling, and at least 3 more drumming Great Spotted woodpeckers, however once in the woods only a STOCK DOVE was added to the list, singing its haunting tune. On the lakes today it was, as has been the case for some time now, just a matter of checking up on the 2 COOTS, and 6 Canada Geese, and seeing how many MOORHEN/MALLARD showed themselves. The Scrubby woods was alive with all the calls and song of the mornings previously heard birds, but new for the morning was the COAL TIT, TREECREEPER, and BULLFINCH, as well as 3 JAYS that chased through the under storey of the Oaks. My last hour was spent going back over to Migrant Alley, via the Tree Nursery, the sheep pasture next to the Tree Nursery had two Canada Geese on it, and as I walked round them, so as not to put them up, a fox ran past behind them, and did just that! A flock of 5 MEADOW PIPIT headed west, as I left the nursery. More scanning of the sky and fencelines at Migrant Alley failed to turn up that Wheatear or flyover Sand Martin, but LESSER BLACK BACKED and HERRING GULLS were added to the list, as well as a singing SKYLARK and the ever present SPARROWHAWK. Half a dozen SISKIN dropped into the Alders in the Greenhouse Complex behind my seat, so I went and took some photo's of one. The last bird on the list today was the LONG TAILED TIT, a pair were in the hedge along Ashes Lane as I neared home, the 46th species for the day. This Female Blackbird came up quite close, it was feeding in the Greenhouse Complex Grounds Below is one of the Siskin that came down

This Wren was in my garden this afternoon, collecting moss from the pond edge for it's nest.

Below: one of the Marsh marigold blooms from my other pond :-)

Lastly, here's the fox running round the back of the Geese :-)