Pittswood Birds

Yesterdays evening patch visit proved to be a continuation of the quiet theme, nothing of note was seen from my seat over looking the paddocks and pasture at Migrant Alley.

This afternoon I fared a little better, with the first MISTLE THRUSH (55) of the month seen at the College Grounds as I walked home from work, and later in the afternoon whilst visiting the run off pool at the Tree Nursery to try and photograph Small Red Eyed Damselflies, I came across my first Autumn migrant, a WILLOW WARBLER (56), not had one of those since the spring passage  :-)

As the heat and humidity built during the afternoon, the bird life filtered away into cover, only glimpses of the WHITETHROAT and BLACKCAP family were had at the Greenhouse Grounds, where, as I watched the SWALLOWS lined up on the Greenhouse roofs, I saw that there were around a dozen HOUSE MARTINS mixed in with them.

A 40 minute sky watch from my seat was not too successful, a couple of LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS went over, the KESTREL family were observed, and much scanning of the fence lines and posts yielded a bit of a surprise - not an Autumn migrant, but a LITTLE OWL. A CHIFFCHAFF was heard to sing from the wooded headland to the north of the paddocks.

Another evening visit beckons I think  :-)

I took one or two flutter photo's today, but there were not that many butterflies species about, considering the warm weather, lots of Gatekeepers, a few Meadow Browns, and a lone Small Copper were about it.

Gatekeeper

A worn Small Copper

Small Red Eyed Damselfly. I still cant get near enough to them for a decent photo  :-)