Pittswood Birds

A new month, and my last days holiday, but what a gorgeous summers day it was!

I spent the entire day out on my patch, from 06:15 to 15:30, and recorded a brilliant 52 species, a very good day tally for my patch :-)

17 species were seen as I walked the 200 meters to Migrant Alley via the Greenhouse Complex, they were: JACKDAW, MAGPIE, STARLING, DUNNOCK, BLUE TIT, COLLARED DOVE, GOLDFINCH, HOUSE SPARROW, WOODPIGEON, CHAFFINCH, ROBIN, LINNET, GREENFINCH, PHEASANT, BLACKBIRD, GREAT TIT and WREN.

At Migrants Alley the usual ROOKS and CARRION CROWS were seen, as well as the SWALLOWS feeding over the sheep pasture, a bit more different was seeing 3 CANADA GEESE there too. A bonus species flew over in the form of a BLACK HEADED GULL, i'll not see many of them this month, but better was found in the wooded headland, whilst listening to TURTLE DOVE, SKYLARK and CHIFFCHAFF I heard another REED WARBLER! A late migrant passing through, but a very welcome one.

I entered the College Grounds and walked along the stream and through the gardens, picking up BLACKCAP, BULLFINCH, WHITETHROAT, GREY HERON, PIED WAGTAIL, HOUSE MARTIN, SONGTHRUSH, MOORHEN, LONG TAILED TIT, COAL TIT and STOCK DOVE, but couldn't find the Spotted flycatchers!

On the walk back home for a drinks break, just a flyover MALLARD was added to the June list, however, just as I got my key in the back door, I looked up and out over the Wet Woods and saw 3 LAPWINGS go over - another bonus bird for the month :-)

The second part of my walk was a bit disturbed by Dog walkers and the noise of Strimmers and Mowers making hearing bird calls difficult, but both NUHATCH and TREECREEPER were located in the Wet Woods, and GOLDCRESTS were seen along the footpath that leads to the Scrubby Woods and Lake area. In the Scrubby Woods I found two newly fledged GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS, another for the breeding list, whilst JAY and GREEN WOODPECKER were found for the June list, plus two HERRING GULLS and a KESTREL that flew over. One COOT was seen on the Lakes, a new species for the combined June list, but I couldn't see the Greylag today, another omission today was the Cuckoo, that will need to be found quickly, as they stop calling anytime now!

Back out after lunch, I did some skywatching at Migrant Alley, and added SPARROWHAWK, and at long last a SWIFT, also two LITTLE OWLS called together from the greenhouse copse, the last species for the day was BUZZARD, when two circled over.

Despite being out all day, I only got these 3 photo's. Below is a Kestrel, this one was seen on a telephone pole along Ashes lane this afternoon

Above is a Meadow Brown and below another large Skipper, but for a nice warm day there were few Butterflies to be seen.

**** It seems I can now comment on other blogs now! Thanks to Paul the Tortoiseman, Who found that if you untick the ''Keep me signed in box'' when you sign into blogger, the problem goes away***