Pittswood Birds

This Imm. GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER met the SPARROWHAWK in my garden late this afternoon, it sat motionless on the peanut feeder, until the danger passed - then carried on eating :-).

A cooler afternoon than yesterday, with a blustery SW wind and light showers, not the best weather for finding Birds or insects, and the camera had to stay at home )-:

I sought shelter from the wind and showers over in the Scrubby Woods, where the gusty wind made it impossible to hear much apart from the TURTLE DOVES 'purring' away on the over head cables. In the sunnier moments a few Butterflies showed themselves, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Small and Green Veined White and Comma were all blown along in front of me. Up in the Oaks at least 4 Purple Hairstreaks clung on to their leafy refuge. A family of well grown CHIFFCHAFFS and two more Juv. GREEN WOODPECKERS were about the bird highlight here.

I checked out the lakes, and found 13 MALLARD, an increase over the weekend, also an adult MOORHEN fed two newly hatched youngsters, and was being helped in the feeding duties by an immature bird, probably an elder sibling of the chicks. The two CANADA GEESE young were still with both parents, but the GREYLAGS had left their 3 young to fend for themselves, and they were tagging along with the Canada family. It seems that I have lost the Coots from my patch, they have not been seen since the 28th June :-(

A rather dull walk home only produced a flyover HERRING GULL, but a stop at the run off pool by the Pub Field had a mixture of Chiffchaff, GREENFINCH, CHAFFINCH, and GOLDFINCH taking a drink from the murky water.

So still not much happening around the patch, I may take a short trip out this evening if it calms down a bit out there!