Pittswood Birds

The fine settled weather continued for the last full patch walk of May, and without the strong wind of yesterday, a few more species were able to be recorded, in all a fantastic 52  bird species were seen  :-)

Most of the no shows from yesterday turned up, TURTLE DOVES were heard 'purring' from both the wooded headland at Migrant Alley, and at the Scrubby Woods, COAL TITS were also seen in the Scrubby Woods, and also a family were feeding in the College Grounds, a LESSER WHITETHROAT was collecting food in the Greenhouse Complex Grounds, and the NUTHATCH showed up with their young over at the Lakeside edge, another for the confirmed successfully breeding list, but still no Long Tailed Tit for today, or a Bullfinch. It was good to hear a CUCKOO calling, and another was heard way off in the distance, a single HOUSE MARTIN that flew over was the first for 7 days.

The two SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS were staking out a territory in the College Grounds, again mostly too high up for a photo, this DUNNOCK was sitting where the Spotted Flycatcher had been a few seconds earlier, alas it flew off just as I was getting closer, but the Coal Tits did come near enough for few snaps.

Dunnock - Almost a Spotted Flycatcher!

Recently fledged Coal Tit

Recently fledged Coal Tit

This PIED WAGTAIL was feeding nearby on the sports pitch

Pied Wagtail

A STARLING was singing on the nearby roof of one of the college outbuildings

Starling

Also this SWALLOW was sitting on its usual pearch at the College stables

Swallow

Very early on in the walk, I passed the flock of GREYLAG and CANADA GEESE, with the feral BARNACLE GOOSE among them, I counted 70 birds in all, with more coming in.

Canada Geese coming in to land

In the background of the above photo you can see part of the Greenhouse Complex, this is where the LITTLE OWL was seen to catch a vole and take it to waiting nestlings, I presume, as it flew off into the Greenhouse Copse with it :-)  The light for photography at 05:30hrs this morning was fantastic, as can be seen by the photo of the LINNET below, they didn't allow close approach, but they look great in the orange light  :-)

Linnet

Linnet

By nine o'clock it was laready hot in the sun, and the majority of the birds melted away into cover, and the light became too harsh for photo's, as can be seen with the CHAFFINCH below  :-)

Chaffinch

I melted away into cover too shortly after, but it had been a good 4 and a half hours out. Later, whilst sitting and sipping a cool drink in my garden, a BLACK HEADED GULL (69) drifted over, the first this month, not at all a common bird here in May, nice to see one in breeding plumage  :-) 

I also spent some time photographing the Damsels around my pond, one of which was an Azure Damsel, my first this year  :-)

Azure Damselfly

Azure Damselfly