Pittswood Birds

I'd like to thank all those who commented on yesterdays post, all of which empathized with my sadness at having to watch more wildlife habitat disappear. Thank you all for the ideas and suggestions some of which I can put into action  :-)

As for today, well, the wintery weather just will not relinquish its grip, the icy wind was still blowing this afternoon for my afternoon visit, while the temperature stayed at no more then 3C.

I headed off over to the lakes, passing through the doomed Tree Nursery, where work was going at full pace to remove the remaining trees and shrubs, a JCB was uprooting everything, ready for the shredding machine to mulch them all into the ground, consequently no birdlife was seen here, well, that is apart from a GREEN WOODPECKER.

The lines of fir trees here were all lying prone within the hour  :-(

I paid a quick visit to the Pub Field too, as I could here more machinery there, I found that the field was being ''muck spread'' normally an exciting thing to watch ( yea, i'm a wierdo!)  but it brings in the birds  :-)  At least it woould have brought in the birds had the temperature been high enough to bring in the flies and insects that in turn bring in the birds! There were only a few BLACK HEADED GULLS hawking behind the tractor, but they didn't stay long. Maybe if the field is not ploughed too soon a passage Wheatear, or Black redstart will drop in - if the weather warms up a bit!

''Muck spreading at the 'Pub Field' - exciting, normally   :-)

Walking over towards the Wet Woods to get to the lakes, a COMMON BUZZARD was seen low over the tree tops, the walk through the woods and footpath though was very quiet, just the calling of GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER and GRAEAT TIT were heard, not very springlike at all.

On the lakes I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a pair of GOOSANDER once again, these usurp the pair seen on the 23rd as the latest winter sighting for this species. The CANADA GOOSE pair were also seen, the female sitting tight on her nest, the only other lake dwellers today were a few MOORHEN and a COOT, I really hope the other Coot is somewhere on here nest at the moment  :-)

Female Goosander - 50 meters plus away, and in dark conditions, but its the best I could get!

Male Goosander

Very little else was noted at all for the rest of my walk, despite me searching through the Scrubby Woods and then walking back over to the Greenhouse Grounds, the most noteworthy birds were a flock of around 40 FIELDFARE that flew over the Greenhouses. Still no Chiffchaffs! but in this weather I wouldn't want to visit these shores either!

Here's a couple of images from my garden that I took later in the afternoon, again taken through the double glazing and in poor light - but they still brighten the page  :-)

JAY on the 'blog log'

Doesn't take them long to find the hidden peanuts  :-)