Pittswood Birds

Another Pittswood sunrise

My full patch walk this morning was undertaken in remarkably warm conditions, and even with the wind picking up mid morning, it still felt more like summer than late Autumn. All very pleasant, but it doesn't encourage the winter species to visit my patch, in fact I havn't recorded a winter thrush all weekend.

Small numbers of SISKIN, seen in various localities, and a few flyover LESSER REDPOLL did remind me however that winter is just around the corner. A few large flocks of WOODPIGEON were seen flying high over, heading south, and directly opposed to them were a dribble of MEADOW PIPITS and SKYLARKS going north, involving maybe 25 -30 birds in all, and just a single YELLOWHAMMER was noted, it dropped down into the hedgerow at the Pub Field.

Raptors were up and hunting once the warmth of the sun cleared the slight mist, with KESTREL, SPARROWHAWK and a pair BUZZARDS all seen over Migrant Alley, where a flock of GOLDFINCH numbering around 35 birds fed in the Alder trees that mark the boundary between it and the Greenhouse Complex. CANADA GEESE, GREY HERON, HERRING and BLACK HEADED GULL made up the flyover species.

At the lakes and Scrubby Woods, it was quite busy, with TREECREEPERS, NUTHATCH, GOLDCREST, LONG TAILED TIT, GREAT SPOTTED and GREEN WOODPECKERS all putting in an appearance, but the highlight of the day was at last find something with the MALLARD and MOORHEN on the main lake - a COOT (67) my first since June, a real scarce bird on these lakes, but a welcome addition to Octobers list. That now stands at 67, just one off the second best tally, achieved in both 2008, and 2009, but still way off the highest tally of 77 achieved last year!

Coot ....Not a very good photo, but I was sliding down the bank at the time!

Great Spotted Woodpecker

HOUSE SPARROW,  If you look carefully you can see colour rings on each legs, Orange over Purple on the right leg and a single Purple on the left leg. This bird was rung by a friend of mine just up the lane, as part of a Re trapping  adults for survival scheme. The coloured rings tell me this bird was ringed on 20 May 2007 as a Juvenile. It has been seen just twice before, both in 2007, one in August and one in December. I wonder where its been since then  ?

PS whilst writing this post, I can hear both Tawny and Little owls calling, taking the daylist to 46   :-)