Pittswood Birds

A few bits and pieces were recorded as I walked into work this morning, wont be long before it's too dark for pre- work birding now. A LITTLE OWL was seen flying across a large garden next to Migrant Alley, where overhead 43 CANADA GEESE flew. A CHIFFCHAFF was singing at the College Grounds.

This afternoons patch visit was blighted by heavy blustery showers, but although frequent they were short lived, so I didn't get too wet! My walk produced a few common passage migrant birds, the first of those was a SAND MARTIN that went over Migrant Alley along with a few HOUSE MARTINS and SWALLOWS, the local Swallows are still hanging about over the sheep pasture though, and seemed to enjoy dive bombing the small group of MEADOW PITS, GOLDFINCH and LINNET that were feeding there  :-)

I walked the Pub Field, where just a few Feral Pigeons were on the harrowed stubbles, the 100 meter hedgrerow that is the shared boundary with the Tree Nursery seemed devoid of birds, until I crossed over into the Tree Nursery and checked up that side of it, then I found a pristine male BLACKCAP feeding on the plentiful Elder and Blackberries, but more surprising was seeing an equally pristine LESSER WHITHROAT with it  :-) This represents the latest Lesser Whitethroat recorded on my patch, 5 days later than the previous latest back in 2009. I scanned the hedgerow thoroughly, but didn't find any more migrants, however my second Little Owl of the day was seen, it flew from the nearby run off pool into an apple tree in an adjacent garden. The KESTREL pair were up hunting over the Tree Nursery and Greenhouse Grounds, also in the Greenhouse grounds were another pair of Blackcaps, the male of which gave some subdued song.

A SPARROWHAWK flew past as I listened to the Blackcap, and a little later a BUZZARD flew low over, then folded its wings and dropped into the Greenhouse Copse.Not a bad couple of hours today then, considering the wind and rain  :-)

The camera stayed at home today, so here's the garden NUTHATCH and BLUE TIT from yesterday  :-)

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Blue Tit

Blue Tit