Pittswood Birds

At last, some half decent weather to get out in this afternoon, and with a few spells of sunshine the day lasted just that bit longer  :-)

As usual, a visit was made to the lakes and Scrubby Woods area, via the Small Holding and Wet Woods, the Small Holding had a flock of a dozen or so mixed CHAFFINCH and GREENFINCH, with a GREEN WOODPECKER feeding on the old orchard floor, which has two less tree in it now after yesterdays gale, a shame as these are ''proper'' pear trees, old and holey, there are just half a dozen left now  :-(  No doubt next week the orchard owner will be chopping the fallen trees up and burning them.........

The walk through the Wet Woods was pretty quiet, the mornings dog walkers will of seen off anything interesting that would of been on the now reforming pools of water, I did hear a couple of SISKIN up in the tops of the Alders, plus a couple of calls from a MOORHEN hidden out there somewhere.

Approaching the lakes, there was no sign of the idiot groundsman in the adjacent large garden, but who knows, he could of been there this morning, as nothing was seen on the ornamental pond belonging to that house. The main lake had three MOORHENS, 14 paired up MALLARDS, and a GREY HERON, which later flew to the top of a fir tree. A CORMORANT circled over, almost alighting on the main lake, but thought better of it, whilst the small lake had 12 more paired up Mallards.

A walk in the Scrubby Woods was good for BULLFINCH, at least 6 were in there, also 4 REDWING, plus the usual BLUE and GREAT TITS, DUNNOCKS, WRENS, ROBINS, BLACKBIRDS and SONGTHRUSHES. No sign of a Long Tailed Tit flock today, or Treecreeper or Nuthatch, two GOLDCREST showed well, I got within a meter of them but it was too dull in the thicket for a photograph.

A look over the Pub Field didn't produce the wanted Lapwing for the year list, and the search for a Snipe or Woodcock in the Tree Nursery was also a failure, but my short skywatch over on my seat at Migrant Alley, with the friendly ROBIN at my side, did produce a year tick, a GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL (52) that flew over heading SE. The only other birds going over were the KESTREL the SPARROWHAWK, and numerous JACKDAWS and WOODPIGEONS. Still no sign of any Fieldfares!

Friendly Robin skywatching with me  :-)

Greenfinch at the small holding

Grey Heron over by the main lake