Pittswood Birds

Another grey afternoon today, but at least it felt a bit warmer with the wind dropping out.

It was hard going again trying to find much bird life, The WHITETHROAT pair were in the Tree Nursery, with another in the Maize crop at the Pub Field, it was with a CHIFFCHAFF and both birds were probably on passage through my patch.

I walked over to the College Grounds, I don't visit here much in the afternoons, as it is crawling with people, but I wanted to check up on the SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS, both pairs of adults were found, and although I saw no youngsters, I could here them calling, and watched the adults carrying food to them. I also observed two GOLDCREST families noisily feeding in the row of pine trees.

Walking back home through Migrant Alley, I could see a field of Rape being harvested just off my patch, above it were scores of SWIFTS and SWALLOWS feeding on the disturbed insects, also attracted to the food supply was a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL and 2 HERRING GULLS, more bizarrely a CORMORANT came down low and circled the field!

A short skywatch produced KESTREL and SPARROWHAWK, the latter carrying a prey item, judging by the dozen or so PIED WAGTAILS giving chase, it was one of their kind.

A few more butterflies were out today, again mostly the 3 Skipper species, and 3 White Species, but Red Admiral, Holly Blue, Meadow Brown and these 3 species below which I photographed

Above a Comma and below a Small Tortoiseshell

below a Gatekeeper

Lastly, just to show how desperate i'm getting, I photographed a moth species, I generally keep away from moths as the ID ing of them frustrates me to bits!! I expect one of the more enthusiastic ''moffers'' out there can tell me what this one is :-)