Pittswood Birds

The forecast wind and rain duly arrived this morning, but not before I got a three hour full patch walk in, which proved to be much the same as yesterdays walk, although a new species was added to the months list when a MANDARIN DUCK (70) was seen flying over Migrant Alley, good to get the 70th species up, although i'm still 3 behind the average September tally of the last 5 years.

CHIFFCHAFFFS were fewer than yesterday, just 5 were noted, and BLACKCAPS were down to just a female seen at the Greenhouse Grounds, and a male at the Scrubby Woods. A single WHITETHROAT seen in the Tree Nursery was notable, as this will be recorded as the latest one seen on my patch. A few local SWALLOWS were still feeding over the area, while just one small flock of HOUSE MARTINS flew over Migrant Alley, the single YELLOW WAGTAIL that dropped into the sheep pasture there, made up the summer species for this morning.

The lakes had a couple of bits of interest today, a CORMORANT which was fishing there, and a KINGFISHER that zoomed from one lake to another, just 8 MALLARD and 6 MOORHEN were on the water with them.

TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, GOLDCREST, and COAL TIT were found in the Wet Woods, not in a feeding flock though, but Long Tailed Tit and Bullfinch successfully avoided detection today  :-)

KESTREL and SPARROWHAWK were the only raptors to show today, and flyovers from a lone GREYLAG GOOSE, plus HERRING and BLACK HEADED GULLS took the days list to 44, the same tally as yesterday.

In the ever diminishing light, photography was not particularly easy, but i did get a shot of this Kestrel.

Kestrel