Pittswood Birds

I was out at first light this morning, and spent 5 hours on my patch in mostly cloudy conditions, but the occassional sunny spell early on made it feel quite springlike. My aim was to try to record 50 species for the visit, and try to add something to the month or year list, unfortunately I failed in all three, but it was very enjoyable trying!

It was a close run thing to get the 50 species for the visit, in all 47 were recorded, the likes of Pheasant and Redwing should really have been found, but these were the only two regular species that weren't. Some scarcer birds ( for my patch at least) did show today, a flyover LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL was one of those, and a COMMON BUZZARD that flew from perch to perch in the Greenhouse Copse was another. It was here that a pair of LITTLE OWLS sat in the same tree, taking in the warmth of a short lived sunny spell, and I came close to getting a (potential) great shot of one of them, but they flew off deeper into the copse as I raised my lens!

Two COOTS were on the lakes, always a scarce species here, hopefully they will make a breeding attempt, as a pair did last year. Also on the lakes were a GREY HERON and a CORMORANT, both good birds to get on the daylist, with those were the usual MALLARD and MOORHEN, plus 12 CANADA GEESE, which made the lakes quite busy for once!

A single SISKIN flew over, plus a few small flocks of FIELDFARE, but that was it as far as the winter species were concerned. Two other raptors joined the Buzzard in my note book, the KESTREL and the SPARROWHAWK, the latter giving some awsome display flights, first diving from high up at at impressive speed, before pulling up suddenly and stalling into another shallow dip - great to watch!

Photo opportunities were few, but the old regulars obliged, and showed off with some loud springtime song. :-)

Singing  CHAFFINCH

Singing ROBIN

Scurrying WREN