Pittswood Birds

I caught up with with one of the adult SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS this morning on the way to work, it was in its College Grounds territory feeding a youngster, but I don't know which family of the two that have bred here they belonged to.

This afternoon was gloomy, a large black cloud drifted over, and as there was little wind, it didn't move for hours. I started off over at Migrant Alley, and had a sky watch for 45 mins, not too much was seen that caused much excitement, the LESSER BLACK BACKED and HERRING GULL that went by looked interesting from a distance, but any thoughts of them being a more exciting bird vanished as they came closer. A BLACK HEADED GULL also went over, as did a KESTREL, but most of the time I was watching SWIFTS and SWALLOWS, or the more numerous WOOD PIGEONS, ROOKS and JACKDAWS.

A walk around the perimeter of the sheep pasture and horse paddocks was a bit more interesting than of late, there were at least 35 LINNETS feeding in a paddock, with half a dozen GOLDFINCH, also 4 PIED WAGTAILS and 25 STARLINGS. Only one SKYLARK came up from the pasture, anything else was already flushed by a work crew putting up the paddock fencing.

I decided to walk over to the Pub Field, where the Maize crop is now taller than I am, a few CHIFFCHAFF flew from the crop to the hedge, but not the hoped for Sedge or Reed Warbler or even a ''chat'' of some type, funny how when there is a crop of maize at Migrant Alley, just 50 meters away, one of these mentioned species normally turns up in late July, but not in the Pub Field!

The Tree Nursery was also visited, but all was very quiet here, just the family of at least 6 WHITETHROATS, and a ''yaffling'' GREEN WOODPECKER.

I was surprised to see a Red Admiral, and a gathering of 4 Gatekeeper butterflies on some Ragwort - maybe I should of taken the camera :-)

I did take some photo's today, they were of the BLUE TITS in my garden, the large black cloud finally moved of giving about 15 mins of brighter conditions, but a short while later it went very dark and rain fell..........again!
The Blue Tits above and below are this springs young

This last one is an adult