Pittswood Birds

A passage migrant WILLOW WARBLER sang from the Tree Nursery first thing this morning, and a few WHITETHROAT, CHIFFCHAFF, plus two BLACKCAP were in the Greenhouse Grounds. Migrant Alley had been vacated of its Whinchat, but in place of that were at least 4 YELLOW WAGTAILS feeding out in the Sheep pasture, their piercing calls stood out from the twittering of the skimming flock of SWALLOWS, as did the more liquid trilling of a couple of SKYLARKS.

The College Grounds chipped in with its share of summer migrants, when a LESSER WHITETHROAT was seen among a group of foraging birds, this was made up of of Chiffchaff, GOLDCREST, ROBINS, and a TREECREEPER. Further into the College grounds, COAL TIT, NUTHATCH, BULLFINCH, and both GREEN and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS were found amongst the usual regulars, I also noticed a small group of HOUSE MARTINS making their way south. After struggling for a couple of months to record MISTLE THRUSHES, a group of 12 dropped into a large Oak tree, a nice sight  :-)

Heading back out across Migrant Alley, the hundreds of CANADA and GREYLAG GEESE, started to go past, as did scores of HERRING GULLS, with a few LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS, but again no Black Headed Gulls were seen with them. A LITTLE OWL called from an adjacent large garden.

I reached the Lakes and Scrubby Woods area a bit later than normal this morning, the lakes had a GREY HERON, 4 MALLARDS, and 6 MOORHEN distributed between them, but the woodland was quiet, just JAY was added to the days list, although a few more Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were heard calling.

Raptors were eventually seen, three species went into the notebook, those being COMMON BUZZARD, SPARROW HAWK and KESTREL all seen up hunting around the Greenhouse Grounds and Migrant Alley.

Nothing new for the months list today, but a very good day list of 51 species was recorded, I could do with a visit fro the likes of Reed warbler or Reed Bunting, or maybe one of the Coots will return to the lakes ?

Immature Herring Gull

I played around with this CARRION CROW shot, and made it black and white  :-)

Just look at this WREN, can you imagine its delight at sitting on a mounting of food, with more food flying all over it :-) He had to share it though, these discarded Raspberries at the Greenhouse Grounds were attracting SONGTHRUSH, BLACKBIRD, DUNNOCK, plus the already mentioned Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Blackcaps.

Here's the Kestrel sitting on one of the poly tunnel frames