Pittswood Birds

After more biblical type deluges overnight, this mornings patch walk was unsurprisingly very wet, pools of water filled every dip, hole and hollow in the fields, with the surrounding vegetation bending and heaving with the sheer amount water clinging to it, so although it didn't rain (much) on the four hour visit, I still got soaked brushing up against all the undergrowth -  absolute crap weather!!

Just 42 species were tallied up in the four hours, 50 shouldn't be that hard to reach at this time of year, but most birds seem to be hunkering down out of sight, the only bird to raise a cheer from me this morning was a YELLOWHAMMER (55), one sang from the Pub Field hedgerow early on, good to add it to the July list  :-) A SKYLARK did its best to convince me it was in fact mid-summer, by singing up over Migrant Alley, where the KESTREL family were venturing out from their nearby nest box tree, and the SWALLOWS tried desperately to catch enough of the dwindling insects for their offspring, I counted 8 young on the fence lines today. Another family finding things difficult with the lack of insects are the College SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS, I only found one adult today, has the rain and lack of food wiped out the young ? I hope not, maybe that were in a spot I didn't cover.

I found the COOT and its youngster on the lakes today, after not finding them yesterday, the young one looks almost fully fledged now, I hope at least one stays around for the Autumn /Winter, just 5 MALLARDS and a pair of MOORHEN with 3 young joined them this morning.

I tried to get out this afternoon for a visit, but some monsoon like deluges brought an early end to it, but I did at least add HOUSE MARTIN, GREY HERON and a fed up looking LITTLE OWL that sat on the guttering of the Greenhouses, it was trying to fend off 30 odd Swallows which were mobbing it relentlessly!

Not much else to report that wasn't seen yesterday, so here's a few photo's from this mornings visit to brighten the page.

Female BLACKCAP

ROBIN

ROOK