Pittswood Birds

There were some decent sunny spells today  :-)  That is until I got home from work and put my camera on my shoulder ready for my afternoon walk, it then clouded over very quickly  :-(

I cant remember such a quiet visit as the one I made this afternoon, I walked through the Small Holding and Wet Woods and didn't record a single bird, incredible!!  Mind you, there was good reason for the birdless patch, the farmer that owns a big field of rape adjacent to my patch, had not only got the gas cannons going off, but had also got a farm worker to walk the field shouting at the top of his voice ( rather like a strangled chicken) whilst discharging a shotgun - all to scare of the pigeons!

The first bird I recorded this afternoon was a MOORHEN, it was at the lakes, this was quickly followed by a sighting of the pair of COOTS, but not a single Mallard was seen, or a hoped for grey Heron, I havn't seen one since early December  :-(  Just to compound things a large female SPARROWHAWK was seen whizzing through the Wet Woods as I was walking out.

I made my way to the Tree Nursery, here too it was quiet, but at least i did see one of the KESTRELS up hunting, plus a GREEN WOODPECKER, 2 REDWING and a SONGTHRUSH  all flew up from the vegetation. 

I thought I'd go for a look around the Greenhouse Grounds, but blow me if another Sparrowhawk didn't come clattering through the line of Alders there, nothing but a LESSER REDPOLL ( that flew off calling) was seen after that. I spent just 30 minutes watching the sky over Migrant Alley, hoping for my first Skylark of the year, but it was not forthcoming, even the FIELDFARE that I had seen on the pasture as I walked home from work had gone!

Oh well after an afternoon like that, things will certainly only get better  :-)

At least the Coots are still on patch!  :-)

Another reason to be upbeat - The Bluebells in the Wet Woods are coming up fast, a sure sign that spring is nearly here  :-)

Here's a view of the Hadlow Tower, its renovation is just about finished now. No sign of any Peregrines there now, none seen this year yet anyway, hopefully they will return soon. PS it isn't leaning over -that's just my poor photo  :-)

This is what the tower used to look like, not so pleasing to the eye perhaps, but home to much wildlife then, which included Swifts, Bats and Bee swarms in its decaying brickwork.