Pittswood Birds

It was cooler and overcast for this mornings full patch walk, a much more pleasant day than the heat of the past days. The five hour visit was most enjoyable, a very good total of 52 species was recorded, two of those were new for the month, with the Autumns first YELLOW WAGTAIL (66) flying from the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley early on, then  the Autumns first COMMON GULL (67) flew over the Greenhouse Complex, where the SEDGE WARBLER was relocated, plus a WHITETHROAT, two BLACKCAPS and two CHIFFCHAFF.

 More summer species were found at the College Grounds, two WILLOW WARBLERS, one giving some of its lovely song, were flitting along with 5 Chiffchaff, two more Blackcaps were also here, and the SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS were back, all these were mixed up in a Tit flock, in which it was good to find half a dozen LONG TAILED TITS. A small photographic triumph for me was getting a photo of a STOCK DOVE, my first since taking up the camera 4 years ago, this is the 116th species out of the 138 recorded on my patch to have some sort of photographic record. ( Talking of which my gallery has been updated, only birds beginning with 'W' and 'Y' to add now, see the link at the top right of the page)

Flyovers were plentiful today, as well as the mentioned Yellow Wagtail and Common Gull, there were the usual large flocks of GREYLAGS and CANADA GEESE moving around locally, as well as scores of HERRING GULLS, with a couple of LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS. A YELLOWHAMMER, and 3 raptor species also went over, they being, COMMON BUZZARD, SPARROWHAWK and HOBBY.

In the Scrubby and Wet Woods all the 'sometimes difficult to find' species were located, like TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, COAL TIT, GOLDCREST and BULLFINCH, the Small Holding chipped in with a LITTLE OWL to make a very nice cast of species today  :-)

Robin - not had a photo of one for a while  :-)

At last a shot of a Stock Dove, not the best, but for my records  :-)

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff