Pittswood Birds

It was good to get out early and find that the sun was shining this morning, only for 20 minutes, but i'll take that after what i've been used to being out in! Four hours later and only a brief, short lived shower was had, allowing for a total of 48 species to be found, a tally much nearer what should be found at this time of year, although I still missed finding a Nuthatch, a Long tailed Tit and a Bullfinch, plus the Mistle Thrush that still eludes the months list.

The species most in evidence today were the Gulls, BLACK HEADED GULLS particularly, I reckon between 130 - 150 flew south west during the morning, with smaller numbers of HERRING GULLS, and 4 LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS, I must have scanned 90% of the Black Headed Gulls, looking for a Med Gull, but it wasn't to be.

I again looked for the SPOTTED FLYCATCHER family at the College Grounds, but again just found adult birds, not looking good for the youngsters that were here a week ago, but I haven't given up hope yet that they are still hiding up somewhere. An addition to the July list was had whilst in the grounds, when a KINGFISHER (58) flew from one of the ponds, the months list now equals the tenth best July tally  :-) COAL TIT, GOLDCREST and TREECREEPER all called loudly from the gardens there.

A TURTLE DOVE was purring from its favoured pylon at Migrant Alley, where a few SWIFTS were seen up high with a couple HOUSE MARTINS feeding with them, 25-30 SWALLOWS skimmed over the sheep pasture, the only other summer species were WHITETHROAT, CHIFFCHAFF and BLACKCAP all found at the Greenhouse Complex, with their youngsters in tow. The KESTREL family are doing well, feeding around the Greenhouse Complex, Migrant Alley and the Tree Nursery, and two other raptors were seen as well, predictably a SPARROWHAWK, but more exciting was a HOBBY that was pointed out to me by the alarm call of the Swallows, as I watched the Hobby a GREY HERON flapped slowly over.

I had tallied up 46 species from the first half of my walk, a very good total, and the idea of reaching 60 for the day seemed a possibility, but that dream was shattered when just two more species were added to the day list from the second part of the walk around the Small Holding, Wet Woods, Lake and Scrubby Woods area, those being MALLARD and COOT, however, it was nice to see another Kingfisher on the main lake  :-)
Photo's today :-

Male HOUSE SPARROW

Male House Sparrow

SONG THRUSH

Recently fledged WREN

Chiffchaff

DUNNOCK