Pittswood Birds

An early visit to Migrant alley this morning, in cloudy and quite chilly conditions, failed to produce any spring migrant species, there were however still a few Gulls on the sheep pasture there, with around 30-40 BLACK HEADED GULLS, 5 LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS, 2 COMMON GULLS and the superb looking MEDITERRANEAN GULLS still about. There were also 30-40 FIELDFARE feeding on another part of the field, this is the largest gathering ever recorded here so late in spring, usually just one or two linger into April, the latest date I have for them is the 13th.

I stayed around the fields for another hour, scanning the skies for a Swallow or Martin, but it proved fruitless, I did see and hear a single YELLOWHAMMER fly over though, and a pair of MANDARIN DUCK, but that wasn't really what i was looking for  :-)

A visit to the lakes was also made this morning, where I found that the Goosander pair had departed after their ten day stay, but in their place was another good species to get on the lake - no less than 4 TEAL (60) two pairs were present, a new species for the April list :-)  This is another winter species that I can find here during early April in some years, the latest date I have recorded them is the 20th, but they seldom get recorded away from the Wet Woods area. Also on the lake today were 10 CANADA GEESE, 3 MALLARD, the COOT, a GREY HERON and a KINGFISHER.

One of the Teal pair, not such a good image as they were quite distant.

Here's the Male Teal cropped close

On the way back home a flock of 20-30 REDWING were found in the Small Holding, another good size flock for this species at this time of year.

During the late morning and early afternoon, a couple more sorties around Migrant Alley were made, but with little success in the way of spring migrants, only a singing CHIFFCHAFF was noted, the outgoing SISKIN, and MEADOW PIPIT were heard flying over in small numbers, and the usual 3 raptor species were seen, those being KESTREL, SPARROWHAWK and BUZZARD.  Spring has yet to really get going here  :-(

Blog brighteners for today are these Siskin, photographed yesterday at my garden feeders, not quite in the right light, but they'll do  :-)

Male Siskin

Male Siskin