Pittswood Birds

The weather was pretty dismal this morning, being cool and damp with dark low cloud giving rain at times, however, that cleared by 11:30hrs and it turned out warm and sunny for the afternoon.

The four hour full patch walk, produced 46 species, a good half dozen less than recent visits, the bird activity was much less as well, especially at the College Grounds, where most of yesterdays families had moved on or hidden up, apart from the SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS, two young were seen being fed by both parents. There were no Greylag Geese on the paddocks at Migrant Alley, but as I passed, a MALLARD came in from the north, calling as it came, eventually alighting on a paddock, must be the one that hangs around with the Geese, but she's lost them all today! She wasn't totally alone though, as I counted 66 SWALLOWS on the fence line, mostly young ones, and two SKYLARKS dropped in to the sheep pasture in the next field.

Two KESTRELS were hunting around the Greenhouse Grounds, and a SPARROWHAWK over the Tree Nursery, they were the only Raptors seen today, a GREY HERON, a few HERRING GULLS and a LESSER BLACK BACK GULL were the only flyovers seen this morning.

The Scrubby Woods and Lake area gave me some shelter from the rain, and as I stood under the Oak canopy a mixed feeding flock moved through above me, this included BLUE and GREAT TIT, CHAFFINCH, NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, CHIFFCHAFF, BLACKCAP and GOLDCREST, a few WRENS and ROBINS were tagging along with them as well, seeing that lot was probably the highlight of the morning  :-)  The adjacent main lake had a CORMORANT fishing on it, and a KINGFISHER flew across too, but that was it, apart from a lone Mallard and a MOORHEN family.

I finished up at the Tree Nursery, where a lone TURTLE DOVE and two STOCK DOVES flew from the vegetation, also here of note were a family of WHITETHROATS and a LESSER WHITETHROAT, this LINNET, one of a pair that were attending a nest site there, was the only photo taken this morning.

Linnet

This afternoon things had both brightened and warmed up considerably, so i found some time to walk around the wilderness that is the Tree Nursery to find some Butterflies. There were plenty to be seen, mostly MEADOW BROWN, GATEKEEPER, and SKIPPERS, they were seen in there scores, also a HOLLY BLUE, a RED ADMIRAL, LARGE and SMALL WHITE and my first PEACOCK since May were all seen. I got a real bonus bird for July fly over whilst I was chasing the Butterflies, a SISKIN (63) came bounding over, calling as it went, the first ever Siskin to be recorded in any July, I wonder if this was a local breeder or a migrant bird from up north. The previous earliest Siskin was one recorded on August the 10th, back in 2004.

Peacock

Peacock, isn't Ragwort a briliant plant for the insects!

Small White

This moth species was also enjoy some sun, I think it's a Six Spot Burnett Moth

Lastly, this Hawker Dragonfly was seen on the Hedge boundary, I think this is a Southern Hawker, or maybe a Migrant Hawker - i'll stick with the first option i think  :-)