Pittswood Birds

The weather had made a slight improvement for this mornings full patch walk, but it didn't last long, as squally showers blew through by mid morning. The four hour visit had me failing to add any new 'confirmed successfully breeding' species for the spring, nor did I add any new species to the June list in what was a mostly uneventful morning.

Of the 47 species noted this morning, the best for me was seeing up to 6 TURTLE DOVES, involving single and paired birds, flying from the Wooded Headland at Migrant Alley to the College Grounds, they were also seen making the longer flight over to the Scrubby Woods adjacent to the lakes. The College Grounds also gave me good views of one the pair of SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS . Another interesting sighting was seeing the male KESTREL catch a large rodent from around the Greenhouse Complex, it flew to a fence post at Migrant Alley and ate part of its prey, before flying of to the nest box in the tree with it, the female bird was seen going into the box, but I didn't quite see if the male passed the food to her, it seems it probably did, so young Kestrels could be in the box, very exciting  :-)

Nothing much more to report than those happenings, numbers of birds are not very numerous about the place, and it's a bit worrying that very little fledgling activity is being seen, especially from Blue and Great Tits, the woods should be ringing with them by now.

Spotted Flycatcher

Recently Flegded MOORHEN Chick