Pittswood Birds

This morning as I left the house I found another confirmed breeder for my patch, it was a just fledged JACKDAW, sitting in the middle of the lane! I picked it up and popped it over the hedge, just a couple of meters away.

On the way home, I found it, or one of its siblings on the lane again, this time I was too late, and all that was left was a pile of feathers :-( What a waste.

I made my way over to the favoured Lake and Scrub area soon after, and although it was sunny, the wind was still quite strong, but nothing compared to yesterday. I went via the Small Holding and Wet Woods today, but not much was seen or heard, just a Speckled Wood Butterfly on the footpath of the Small Holding, and a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER in the Wet Woods.

Arriving at the lakes, I scanned them carefully, and only saw 6 MALLARD, two MOORHEN with a chick, and a pair of CANADA GEESE with four goslings. The Scrubby Woods was a bit more active, and I could immediately hear the persistent call of my first newly fledged BLUE TITS of the spring, at least 3 broods were seen during my visit, the young of GREAT TIT, GOLDCREST, ROBIN and DUNNOCK were also seen. A check on the COLLARED DOVE was made, and it was perched on the side of the nest, allowing for a photo of its head only.

Singing was heard from BLACKBIRD, Dunnock, Robin, SONGTHRUSH, CHIFFCHAFF, BLACKCAP and CUCKOO, but a long listen for a Garden warbler was fruitless, I'll have to concede defeat on this species this spring, the first time since recording began that they haven't bred here, lets hope I pick one up on Autumn migration.

There were plenty of Odenata about today, Common Blue , Azure Blue, and Large Red, were in the Scrubby Woods, as well as a Broad Bodied Chaser, and more excitingly, a Four Spotted Chaser, they are seldom seen on my patch, and this species was one that got away from my camera, most annoyingly! The only Butterflies here were the 3 White species, and more Speckled Woods.

A visit to the Tree Nursery was made later, where White Legged Damselfly was added to the damsel list, and Red Admiral, Common Blue, plus Brown Argus to the Butterfly list. A SPARROWHAWK went over, with the ever attentive SWALLOWS mobbing it, and two HOUSE MARTINS were seen later, very few of them have been seen this month. Before leaving for home, I went and had a look at the run off pool at the bottom of the tree nursery, mainly to see if there were any dragonflies about, there weren't, and there was hardly any water left either, but I was well pleased to see a GREY WAGTAIL (70) the first this month, and only the second this year, the previous one being one seen on the 2nd Jan!

Below are a few photo's of the just fledged Blue Tits

Below is the Collared Dove chick, not quite as cute, but his mum loves him :-)

Above is the Broad Bodied Chaser, whilst below is a Large Red damselfly

Above: White legged Damselfly, below : Common Blue Damselfly