Pittswood Birds

Comma Butterfly - Still a few flutters about in this spell of fine weather

This morning was another clear and cool one as I walked to work, but I had the pleasure of not only discovering another WHEATEAR ( or the same one as yesterday) at Migrant Alley, but also the first LESSER WHITETHROAT (59) of the month, which appeared in the Wooded Headland at the northern end of Migrant Alley, well happy with that, I then tracked down the call of a REDSTART (60) just a few meters further  along, and got some good views of through my bins, stunning little birds, and a nice way to bring up the 60 for the months list  :-)

On the way home, I again scanned all the posts and fences, but didn't locate the Wheatear, so headed off home to fill my rumbling stomach and slake my thirst. Half hour later I was back out at Migrant Alley, and had no sooner assumed my position on my seat, when I saw two distant WHEATEARS on a fence line, excellent, I do love 'em  :-)  I tried to sneak up on them for a photo, but they were not as approachable as the recent Wheatears have been, but I got some record shots. Once I had a photo, I scanned the paddocks and found a small brown bird flying across, it alighted 50 meters away on a fence line, where it revealed itself as a fantastic little WHINCHAT (61) I like these even better than Wheatears, but I just couldn't get anywhere near for a photo, so I left it to feed in peace. Three species for the months list, that's good going, and some really nice patch species at that  :-)

I returned to my seat, and watched the 'chats' at a distance, as well as keeping an eye on the sky, this produced a pair of hunting KESTRELS, a BUZZARD and a SPARROWHAWK, as well as a few high up HOUSE MARTINS and SWALLOWS. After 40 mins I decided to have a bash around the Greenhouse Grounds, I turned to give the sky one more scan after leaving my seat, and was just in time to see an OSPREY (62) go right over my seat, where I had been one minute earlier! Wow! What a brilliant patch find, a bit miffed about missing the photo opportunity, but i'll live with that  :-) This is the first year that I have recorded Osprey in both the Spring and Summer Migration periods, and is only the fourth year from eleven that I have had an Autumn sighting of this brilliant raptor  :-)

In a happy frame of mind I looked through the Greenhouse Scrubb, but the only summer species found were a WHITETHROAT, and two CHIFFCHAFFS. I could hear a tractor in the Pub Field, and thought I go and investigate, on the way a group of 6 SKYLARKS dropped into the sheep pasture.

Arriving at the Pub Field I found the tractor had just finished Harrowing the stubbles, and on the field were a group of 70-80 Gulls, most of them HERRING GULLS, but a lone LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL was with them, as well as 16 BLACK HEADED GULLS, also a group of 30-40 ROOKS were feeding with them. I moved on to the Tree Nursery, where all was quiet, until the familiar ''seep seep'' calls of MEADOW PIPIT (63) were heard, I scanned the sky, and indeed, 3 Mipits dropped into the long grass, yet another one for the months list!

Now that was some days patch watching! September really is a magic month  :-)

Wheatear

Double Wheatear!