Pittswood Birds

It was overcast this afternoon, with just a few short lived brighter spells, but it did stay dry at least  :-)  Before setting off from home to the Tree Nursery, I watched and photographed the STARLINGS feeding on the suet in my garden, over 20 Juveniles were present!...............

Starling Juv.

Starling Juv.

My walk around the Tree Nursery was uneventful apart from finding my first Brown Argus Butterfly. The two WHITETHROAT pairs breeding here were very much evident, as were two GREEN WOODPECKERS, the sky was again mostly notable for SWIFTS, fewer than yesterday, but there were always a group whizzing about whenever I looked up, I was pleased to see a pair of TURTLE DOVES fly through fast and low towards the Scrubby Woods.

Brown Argus, my first of the year. Pity I had the big 500mm lens on, made the wrong choice again today!

A visit to the Greenhouse Grounds was similarly quiet, a female BLACKCAP was seen, plus another Whitethroat, and a hoard of Starlings, 30 or so spilling out onto the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley, of which I did a circuit of, finding more recently fledged ROOKS, a flock of WOOD PIGEON, a 30 strong flock of LINNETS, and a bit more unusual, (for the afternoon anyway) were 13 GREYLAG GEESE, 17 CANADA GEESE and the feral BARNACLE GOOSE, these were on the horse paddocks, failed breeders I suspect. Passing through the Wooded Headland to the north of the paddocks, it was extremely quiet, only the sound of GREAT TITS, CHAFFINCH, ROBINS and DUNNOCKS were heard, none of the expected summer birds sang, no Lesser Whitethroat, Turtle Dove, Blackcap, or Chiffchaff, I did hear a LESSER WHITETHROAT this morning at 07:00hrs as I passed by here though.

Greylag Geese on the paddocks

A 40 minute sky watch was had from my seat, this didn't produce much today, the local SWALLOWS, a few PIED WAGTAILS taking food to their young in the Greenhouse Complex, two LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS, two HERRING GULLS and a SPARROWHAWK was about my lot.

Lesser Black Backed Gull going over