Pittswood Birds

A bright moon in the blue sky

Despite it being almost dark as I walked into work this morning, I still managed to pick out a GREY WAGTAIL (31) as I crossed the stream that runs through the College grounds, a good species for December, although it appears in 9 of the now ten Decembers that I've been watching my patch, 2004 was the year it didn't get recorded.

I didn't record anything new for the month on the way home from work, but as I sat at home eating my rushed sandwich, I noticed a COAL TIT (32) at the feeders, one of the few birds that are to be seen here now, such is the effect of the Sparrowhwk attacks, indeed, as I left for my afternoon walk, the sprawk came through the garden, scattering the few BLUE and GREAT TITS that were there, and making this GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER below,  ''freeze'' to the tree trunk - which allowed me a photograph, I took my shots and left it, still pretending to be invisible  :-)

''I'm not here''   :-)

Making my way over to the Lakes, via the Small Holding and Wet Woods, few birds were to be found, but it was good to find three LESSER REDPOLL (33)  high in the tree tops in the Small Holding, while in the Wet woods a TREECREEPER (34) gave away it's presence with its piercing high pitched call.

At the Lakes today, all I could find were 26 MALLARD and just  3 MOORHEN on the water, with the adjacent Scrubby Woods supplying me with a MISTLE THRUSH (35) for the December list. I didn't stay here too long, as I wanted to cover the Tree Nursery and Pub Field before it got too dark, and as I walked out into the open fields to get there, I saw a GREY HERON (36) slowly flap its way over. Scouring the Tree Nursery, I flushed up my first PHEASANT (37) of the month, and at last saw the months first DUNNOCK (38)   :-) . The adjacent Pub Field was given a good looking over through the boundary hedgerow, and I was pleased to see 18 LAPWING (39) feeding out there, along with 23 BLACK HEADED GULLS, and a PIED WAGTAIL (40) bringing up forty species for the month.

I just had enough time to pay a quick visit to the Greenhouse Complex Grounds and the tall hedge that divides it from Migrant Alley, where in the growing gloom of dusk I saw at least five SISKIN (41) with 3 GOLDFINCH feeding in an alder, as I headed home a tight group of 6 HERRING GULLS (42) went over, and in the hedge at Ashes Lane a party of at least 14 LONG TAILED TITS (43) were seen, I tried for some photo's of them but it was so dark that even with the camera set at 1000 ISO, a shutter speed of just 30 was obtained, below is about the best I could do with that!!

Not too bad an afternoon, with the December list now on 43, just 30 behind the best Decembers tally  :-(

Long Tailed Tit