Pittswood Birds

A bright and blustery visit to my patch was had this afternoon, and having already seen 4 WHEATEARS out on the paddocks at Migrant Alley whilst walking home, I was keen to get back out and check the rest of the fields and hedges there.

I soon located the Wheatear, however they were too far out in the paddock to photograph, but when I counted them this time I found there were now five! I moved down the paddock fenceline a bit, to get more of a view across the field, I counted the birds again, and this time I found 7!! Blimey, it's a Wheatear fest, the highest peak count on my patch in the ten years of recording  :-)

As I couldn't get any photo's of them, I finished the circuit of the paddocks and fields, finding the regular STARLING, LINNET, and mixed Corvid flocks, I also watched a KESTREL sitting on a fence post eating it's just caught rodent prey, again too far for a photo. Finding nothing more, I moved on to the Tree Nursery and Pub Field, the latter was devoid of birds, but the Tree Nursery had a party of LONG TAILED TITS, and with them was a CHIFFCHAFF, the Long tailed Tits, as normal, came close enough for a photo, and whilst doing that two SWALLOWS flew over.

I tried again and Migrant Alley, to see if the Wheatear where perching up on the fence rails, but they were too busy feeding today, I watched their 'run-stop-run' feeding tactics for a while, then counted them once again, unbelievably there were now eight, I checked twice more just to make sure, and yes the were 8 Wheatear! I might have been less surprised if we were in Aug. or Sept. when most of the Wheatears pass through here, but to see this many in October is quite something  :-)  Eventually one of them came near enough to the fence line for a photo, but it was still a bit far off.

I made my way home in an attempt beat a heavy looking shower heading my way, and picked up 7 HOUSE MARTIN against the backdrop of the black clouds, a little later, to top off the afternoon, my first sighting this month of one of the local PEREGRINES (58) was had as it floated low over the Greenhouse Complex.

Long Tailed Tit

Wheatear

Linnet