Pittswood Birds

Nothing much has changed on my patch since yesterdays visit, although the wind had dropped a bit allowing me to find some butterfies to photograph :-)

I found both COOTS today on the ornamental lake, the first time i've seen them both together for some weeks, I wonder if it means their eggs have hatched or maybe they have failed altogether? Two GREYLAG GEESE and four CANADA GEESE were on the main lake, plus 4 MALLARD, one pair had some newly hatched young, a MOORHEN also had a newly hatched chick with it, but there was no sign of any Mandarin chicks today, there are lots of places for them to hide though!

CUCKOO, BLACKCAP, CHIFFCHAFF and WHITETHROAT were heard in the adjacent Scrubby Woods, along with the SONGTHRUSH, DUNNOCK, BLACKBIRD, CHAFFINCH and ROBIN, the latter have started to sing much more frequently again :-) I didn't hear the Lesser Whitethroat today, but it may still be around. A pair of BULLFINCH'S gave me some good views, but just not near enough for the camera.

Speckled Wood, Small and Large Whites, plus the Green Veined White were the only butterflies seen in the Woods, and the only Damselfly was an Azure.

I left after an hour for a skywatch and butterfly hunt over at the Tree Nursery, the Sky watch was good for raptors, with BUZZARD, SPARROWHAWK, and KESTREL all being seen, a HERRING GULL went over and the local SWALLOWS were zipping about, but they were the most notable happenings.

My butterfly hunt was a successful one, I found; Small Copper, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Common Blue and Brown Argus, the common blue were very abundant, with ones and twos coming up from the long grass every couple of paces, i'll miss this place when it all goes back to farmland :-(

I got a few photo's of the flutters, what good subjects they make ! Click on photo's to enlarge them :-)


Above/Below Red Admiral

Above/Below Male Common Blue

I think these top two are female Common Blues, the one below them may be a Brown Argus, it's difficult to tell the two apart unless you see the underside of the forewing, Edit : Thanks Greenie, he has Identified all three as Brown Argus

Below is the Small Copper

Lastly, the only Damselfly of the day - An Azure Blue