Pittswood Birds

A change in the weather brought a change in fortunes today, my walk in to work, under a grey overcast sky, had me finding the first GREY WAGTAILS (52) of the month, they were noisily chasing around over at the College Stream.

After work, I headed off to the lakes and Scrubby Woods again, forsaking Migrant Alley, as it was all quiet there again when I passed through on the way home, before I left I noted another BLACKCAP in my garden, a male this time, very nice :-)

The walk through the Small Holding and Wet Woods ( which is now completely dry) on the way to the lakes was pretty quiet, just GREEN and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS were of any note. Upon reaching the lakes I flushed up a GREY HERON that was fishing there, and a KINGFISHER was heard, then seen from afar. A count of the wildfowl came to 13 MALLARD and 8 MOORHEN. In the Scrubby Woods a LONG TAILED TIT flock kept me amused for a while, with them were two TREECREEPERS and a NUTHATCH, as well as the more usual BLUE and GREAT TITS.

After I had my fill, I decided on a quick visit to Migrant Alley via the Tree Nursery, the latter had a calling CHIFFCHAFF, and a KESTREL sitting on the boundary hedgeline, also very nice to see were two small groups of SWALLOWS 7 in one and 5 in the other all heading south west. As I entered Migrant Alley through the Greenhouse Complex, the flock of 20 or so LINNETS flew from the boundary hedgeline, but one bird remained on the wire, which when I looked at it through my bins turned out to be a WHINCHAT (53) !! Magnificent! Only my second October record of this species!

I settled down on my seat, after taking some Whinchat pics, which the light was dire for unfortunately, I had not even warmed the wooden planks when another new monthly species flew over - 14 CANADA GEESE (54), then before I could even write them in the book 17 GREYLAG GEESE (55) flew in the opposite direction, all very nice  :-)  Obviously things were moving, and the sight of 27 SKYLARK was a very pleasing record, the most I've seen hear for some years, they dropped from the sky and alighted in the sheep pasture, then disappeared from view. As I sat I scanned the paddock fences some 200 meters away, I thought I could see a small passerine on one of the fence posts, I suspected a Linnet, but to make sure I walked over to get a better view, but it was no Linnet, it was a WHEATEAR (56) a great new species for October, in fact when I scanned the paddock I found another  :-) I think I wrote of my beloved Migrant Alley a little early this year !

Well that's a bit more like it! You can keep the hot sunny weather, i'll take the cloud and breeze with the associated passage migrants anyday  :-)

Whinchat

Whinchat

Above is one of my usual Kingfisher photo's - 40 meters too far away!!