Pittswood Birds

Above is the blossom of the Hawthorn, one of my favourite smells of late spring.

Before I go onto this afternoons visit, I just like to thank all the people who comment on this blog. I enjoy reading every one of them, but find it very difficult to reply to all, there's just not enough time in the day!

On to this afternoon, and I did much the same as yesterday, and stayed around the Scrubby Woods and lake area, Migrant Alley had little to offer on the ground as I walked through it on the way home from work, but above in the blue sky, there were two BUZZARDS, a SPARROWHAWK and a KESTREL. Four HOUSE MARTINS and a SWIFT were also up wheeling about.

My aim at the Scrubby Wood was to find those two species that are being rather elusive so far this month, the Nuthatch and the Coal Tit, the former was picked out easily enough, when I walked past the TAWNY OWL area, (with no intention to disturb them today), but it was obviously there, I could hear the NUTHATCH (57) along with BLACKBIRD, SONGTHRUSH, MISTLE THRUSH, LONG TAILED TIT and JAY all giving raucous alarm calls, I peered through with my bins and did catch the Tawny Owl flying off, then all went quiet again. It wasn't until sometime later that I eventually heard the COAL TIT (58) calling, that now accounts for all the regularly seen species, just 15 more scarce ones to find to beat the best may total !

I wandered through the woods, listening out for the Garden warbler, but still no luck there, BLACKCAPS and CHIFFCHAFFS were the main singers, but GOLDCREST, DUNNOCK, ROBIN, Songthrush and Blackbird were all enjoying an afternoon sing. I was also on the lookout for Butterflies, especially the Green Hairstreak, as I have never seen one, alas I still haven't! I did find Small and Large white, Comma, Orange Tip, Red Admiral, and Small Tortoiseshell though.

After having my fill of the woods I went to the lakes, where there were four CANADA GEESE, one pair had five young, when yesterday there were four, I assume this was a new family, it gets a bit confusing!

One thing that was for sure though, This GREYLAG GOOSE family was new, another successful breeding species for my patch this year :-)

I found a few Damselflies whilst out, and at this point I'd like to thank GREENIE and DEAN for there input on IDing yesterdays Damsels. Well what do you think on this one, I reckon it's a White Legged Damselfly ?

Whilst this one below is an Imm. Large red, ( eating lunch!)

I again had a quick look around the Tree Nursery, where this Brown Argus was seen in it's little territory, but no other Butterflies showed up. Birdwise, there were a pair of GREEN WOODPECKERS, but more exciting was watching a Sparrowhawk fly over with its prey, as I watched through my bins, it glided along towards the Wet Woods, then all of a sudden a HOBBY came down and mobbed it! Great sight :-)

Yesterday I mentioned seeing a Stoat relocating its young, a sight ive never seen before, so imagine how surprised I was when I again came across her doing the same thing! This time I was ready with the Camera! The Stoat came trotting down the path, right where I expected it to, I raised my camera, and was just going to click, when a Rabbit ambushed the Stoat!! The rabbit jumped up and landed on the stoats head, then legged it !! :-) The stoat dropped its young one for a second, but quickly composed itself, and scampered off into the bushes, ad thats the last I saw of it! Oh! and the Photo, you dont want to see that do you ?..... You do! well, I don't want any tittering then! Be warned, it's crap!!!!