Pittswood Birds

Conditions were pretty miserable for this mornings 3 hour full patch walk, frequent blustery showers plagued my visit, and the clinging wet mud that is everywhere made it more fun  :-)

Just 35 species were recorded, which is well down on the 42-45 species that I would expect to find on a December full patch walk, I could have found almost that many from sitting at my study window for 3 hours!

This is the way it is in December though, it can be tough at times, but you never know what might just turn up so its always worth getting out :-)

The highlights for the walk were of course few, but a KINGFISHER was seen over on the now thawed out lakes, and a LITTLE OWL called from the Small holding. The Wet Woods had a nice mixed feeding flock within it, this contained at least 15 LONG TAILED TITS, 4 GOLDCREST, 2 TREECREEPER (only the second record of this species this month)  2 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS, a NUTHATCH and 3 - 4 each of BLUE and GREAT TIT.

At least 9 BULLFINCH were seen today, the biggest gathering was of 4 seen in the Greenhouse Grounds, they have increased in numbers over the last week, as have the Goldcrests, the 4 seen in the Wet Woods were amongst 14 that were spread around my patch this morning.

The KESTREL pair remain faithful to the Greenhouse Grounds/Tree Nursery, where the in latter, a MEADOW PIPIT had returned, and at least 8 SONGTHRUSH were seen.

Nothing much more of note today though, still looking for a goose of any description to add to the December list!

This afternoon there were some very brief ''brighter'' interludes between the rain showers, so I had a go at photographing what I could at my garden feeders, I would still like to get a nice photo of that Green Woodpecker in the sunshine, but although it was seen again, it never showed out in full view, unlike the Great Spotted Woodpeckers!

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker

JAY

COLLARED DOVE

WOODPIGEON

COAL TIT