Pittswood Birds

Just before sun up

What a glorious Autumnal day today, unbroken sunshine from dawn till dusk, a bit chilly to start with though, with the first frost of the Autumn covering the grass.

The four hour visit from 06:30, produced a total of 47 species, which is a good tally for an October day, this included two CHIFFCHAFF, both of which were in song, one was in the Greenhouse Complex Grounds the other in the Lakeside scrub, but they were the only summer species recorded today.

Early on, just as the sun rose, I watched and listened for anything flying over Migrant Alley, this was quite productive today, as REDWING, FIELDFARE, SISKIN, SKYLARK, MEADOW PIPIT, LAPWING and two skeins of GREYLAG GEESE were all recorded, while a LITTLE OWL called from over at the Greenhouse Copse.

Three raptor species were seen, a KESTREL hunted over the Tree Nursery, a pair of SPARROWHAWKS hunted just about everywhere! The third raptor species was BUZZARD two of which were still associating with the Wet Woods.

COAL TIT, NUTHATCH, BULLFINCH, and GOLDCREST,  were notable species recorded over at the Lake and Scrubby Woods area, where also of note was watching a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER excavate a hole in a dead Silver Birch tree, no doubt to roost in.

There were no new species recorded for the month, which remains on 64, the joint 4th best October tally.

Singing Chiffchaff at the Greenhouse Grounds

As the light was so good today I took also some garden bird pics  :-)

GOLDFINCH

Nuthatch

CHAFFINCH

Coal Tit