Pittswood Birds

After yesterdays pretty poor full patch walk, I found it difficult to to get enthused about this mornings, but as I did say yesterday, ''its always worth getting out, as you don't know what may turn up' ...........

Things started well, with the first December LINNETS (61) being seen, when 4 flew from the Tree Nursery very early on. A MISTLETHRUSH was heard singing as I approached the Wet Woods, and above me SISKIN, FIELDFARE, REDWING, MEADOW PIPIT, HERRING GULL and BLACK HEADED GULL were all seen/heard. In the Wet Woods yesterdays feeding flock was still evident, but without any Long Tailed Tits, I saw 2 TREECREEPERS, 2 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS, 4 GOLDCREST a NUTHATCH, and a few GREAT and BLUE TITS.

Moving on to the lakes I was pleased to first of all find 8 CANADA GEESE (62) for the months list, but they immediately took a back seat when I spied no fewer than 5 female GOOSANDER (63) also there, a brilliant patch record. Luckily I had brought my camera along, but it was still almost dark, so I only got a few distant record shots of them  :-)

5 Goosander, Wow!

I watched them fishing for ten minutes, before something spooked them

Four MALLARD dropped in whilst I watched the Goosanders, plus a SPARROWHAWK went zooming past me, BULLFINCH, COAL TIT, JAY, PHEASANT, COLLARED DOVE, and the MARSH TIT also went on my list as I stood and enjoyed the Goosander.

Things slowed down as I walked the rest of my patch, both the KESTRELS were hunting around the Greenhouse Grounds, and a low flying BUZZARD was also seen here. The College Grounds provided the mornings list with the likes of PIED WAGTAIL, GREENFINCH, HOUSE SPARROW,  and GOLDFINCH, easy to miss these species on other parts of my patch.

So in the end it was well worth dragging myself from a warm bed and get out into the mud and dark, the days list ended on a good total of 43 species, and those 3 new species seen this morning moves the months list on to 63, the fourth best December on record  :-)

Kestrel on the Greenhouse roof