Pittswood Birds

A proper winters day today, after a sharp frost there was wall to wall blue sky all day, with a full days sunshine - albeit only eight hours worth at this time of year!

Before getting onto this afternoons exploits, just to say a new species was added to the months list at 02:14hrs last night, when I was awoken by the ''kewick'' calls of a TAWNY OWL (60) calling from an Oak tree opposite my bedroom, only the fifth month this species has been recorded in 2012  :-)

Back to this afternoon, and I was photographing the GREEN and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER in my garden as I sat eating my lunch before going out, with some mixed results!

I was soon out on my patch though, enjoying the sunshine, but it was a bit chilly, especially out of the sun. I didn't go over to the lakes today, as they would no doubt of been frozen over, so I just walked the Tree Nursery and Greenhouse Grounds. I was hoping to put up a Snipe in the Tree Nursery, that didn't happen, but there were plenty of common regular stuff about, SONGTHRUSHES, BLACKBIRDS, WRENS, DUNNOCKS, ROBINS, Green Woodpeckers, the KESTREL pair, a GOLDCREST and a lone MEADOW PIPIT were seen

At the Greenhouse Grounds, all of the above species were seen again - apart from the Meadow Pipit, plus I added a couple of BULLFINCH and a small feeding party of GOLDFINCH, CHAFFINCH and SISKIN at the Alder Trees. Much sky watching was done, and a skein of Geese was seen just off patch, probably Canada Geese, could of done with those here! Flyovers from single LESSER REDPOLL, YELLOWHAMMER and SKYLARK were all noted, but nothing of more interest was seen than that - back at it again tomorrow  :-)

Went a bit mad with the Green Woodpecker photo's, but these were the most useable  :-)

Green Woodpecker, Male

Green Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker, shame about the branch in the foreground over its head!