Pittswood Birds

Monday, 10 December 2012

Sunset at 16:00hrs

The sun sets at 16:00hrs now, which barely gives me time to get over to the lakes and back after work, but it always worth a trip over to the water to see if anything has dropped in :-) The sky had clouded over by the time I left, a bit annoying, but not unusual :-)

I could tell that the local dog walkers had been through the Small Holding and Wet Woods earlier in the afternoon, as not a single Woodpigeon came clattering out of the trees as I passed, and all was very still and quiet, a quick roam around the Wet Woods was had anyway, where two GOLDCRESTS, a few BLUE and GREAT TITS, plus a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER were seen up in the leafless trees, 4 |MALLARDS were seen on the pools of water below them.

Reaching the lakes, there were no surprises today, the sound of a gas canon boomed over the area again, all that was on the lakes were three pairs of MALLARD, and two MOORHENS, however, I did at least hear my first TREECREEPER (57) of the month calling from the adjacent Scrubby Woods, also heard calling here were at least two BULLFINCH.

I didn't stay long, the light was fading, so i made my way over to the Tree Nursery, and on leaving the Wet Woods I saw a COMMON BUZZARD go over the Greenhouse Grounds, it was immediately seen of by the very vocal KESTREL pair. The Tree Nursery was good for a few BLACKBIRDS, SONGTHRUSHES and at least 3 GREEN WOODPECKERS. I looked back at the dipping sun, and took the photo below, and as I did so a YELLOWHAMMER (58) was heard calling as it flew over, then seconds later a hen PHEASANT (59) at last decided to join the months list, dropping in from the Greenhouse Grounds after negotiating the short, but dangerous flight across Ashes lane :-) So in just a short trip out I added 3 more species to the December list, which now stands at 59, putting it in joint sixth place out of 11.

A note from my garden feeders, a SISKIN was seen as I ate my lunch, the first this winter and the 24th species to use my garden this month :-)