Pittswood Birds

Another Robin Photo!

A new month, and a much better day weatherwise, with some long sunny periods developing after early rain had cleared.

My new months list was started off with a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER seen on the nut feeder as I left for work this morning, this was quickly added to as I walked along Ashes Lane, with WOODPIGEON, PIED WAGTAIL, GREEN WOODPECKER, WREN, BLUE TIT, STARLING and ROBIN all appearing in the first light. I crossed the Greenhouse Complex Grounds, where MAGPIE, BLACKBIRD, GOLDFINCH, and a flyover YELLOWHAMMER were all seen. Hopping over the fence to Migrant Alley, it was all quiet out on the sheep pasture and paddocks, the only birds added to the list here were flyovers, from JACKDAW, FIELDFARE, BLACKHEDED GULL, CORMORANT ( good to have that early on the list!) and a nice flock of 43 REDWING.

I picked the HOUSE SPARROWS at the College Stables, also a 'cawing' CARRION CROW, and the walk through the College Grounds gave me flyover HERRING GULL and ROOK, a small group of LONG TAILED TITS, plus the ever present SPARROWHAWK  :-)

The walk home only added two more species, a JAY, which I heard squawking from the Wet Woods, and a COMMON BUZZARD that circled over the Greenhouse Complex. Whilst I ate my lunch, I kept an eye on the garden feeders, adding NUTHATCH, COAL TIT, COLLARED DOVE, GREAT TIT and GREENFINCH, to bring the November list to 32 before heading off out over to the lakes for the afternoon patch visit.

Walking over to the lakes and Scrubby Woods, across the Tree Nursery, just one more new species was found, a SKYLARK, whilst on the lakes, the MALLARD and MOORHEN were present, as always, but a GREY HERON had joined them today, flyovers by SISKIN and KESTREL were the only additions to Novembers list here.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon, and not alot was left now, over at my seat by the tall hedgerow at Migrant Alley, where after a few minutes the call of a CROSSBILL was heard as it flew over, a fantastic November species to find here! Only my second ever recrord, the first being last week  :-) that was the 40th and last species added for the day. With plenty of regular species left for tomorrow,  I'll be chasing the record species total for November, of 68, set last year, I've a feeling it could be a hard task, looking at the mild and unseasonal weather predicted!

The same Robin, - this was in the tall hedge, feeding as the last rays of sun fell on it

Shame about the shadow cast by the twigs!!