Pittswood Birds

My first full patch walk of November, and the weather was nothing like as bad as had been forecast, a bit of light rain for the first hour, but dry and cloudy after that.

The last of the regular species that havn't been seen yet this month, the SONGTHRUSH (51) was eventually seen over in the Scrubby Woods, but I was disappointed not to record my first Geese of the month. On the other hand, a cracking male MANDARIN DUCK (52) was seen out on the main lake, along with a CORMORANT,  the former hasn't been recorded here since May.

Another first for the month was a REED BUNTING (53), a scarce bird here, one dropped down into the Tree Nursery, after flying in from a quite a distance away, calling all the while. Over at Migrant Alley, 8 MEADOW PIPITS, 12 SKYLARKS, 4 YELLOWHAMMERS, and 7 LINNETS were a welcome increase in activity here, and behind the College Stables a good flock of 23 HOUSE SPARROWS with 5 CHAFFINCH, 6 GOLDFINCH and two PIED WAGTAILS were feeding on a seemingly muddy paddock, but there must have been something there for them!

In the College Grounds the best sighting was of 4 LESSER REDPOLLS in a Silver Birch, but also a LONG TAILED TIT flock was actively feeding in the gardens, along with a TREECREEPER.  Only two HERRING GULLS and 4 BLACK HEADED GULLS flew over, a big decrease for them compared to recent visits, while also going over was an obvious movement of WOODPIGEONS, many flocks of approx 70 -100 birds were all going south, not a single raptor was seen today, quite unusual.

Just 39 species were recorded in the 3 hour visit, a bit below average, but the months total moves on to 53, which puts it in 9th place out of the ten Novembers so far recorded.

The camera stayed at home again today, but in a slightly brighter spell this afternoon, I took this WOODPIGEON pic from the back garden