Pittswood Birds

I made a 3 and a half hour Full Patch walk this morning, when after some initial cloud, it turned sunny and warm - a joy to be out  :-)

During the visit a total of 46 species were recorded, no new migrant species were among them though, however the sunshine brought out some song from the ones that are here, CHIFFCHAFF, and BLACKCAP sang from the College Grounds, Wooded headland and Scrubby Woods, whilst SWALLOWS skimmed over the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley, where the only WHITETHROAT of the day was also seen in one of the hedgerows there.

Song from TREECREEPER and calls from NUTHATCH, as well as drumming from GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS were heard in the Wet Woods. On the lakes today 3 pairs of CANADA GEESE were present, with the 2 pairs of GREYLAG GEESE, the COOT pair were feeding 3 young, and that's all that remain of the original 6.

BUZZARD, SPARROWHAWK, and KESTREL were seen on numerous occasions, and a LITTLE OWL was heard at the Small Holding ( another was seen in the Greenhouse copse on a subsequent short afternoon visit)

Peacock Butterfly and Large White Butterfly were added to the Butterfly list today, which totals 6 species for this year, while at my garden feeders a pair of SISKINS are still visiting  :-)

The shortened walk this morning was due to me having an ''off patch'' visit to Bough Beech resevoir later in the morning  :-)

Goodies encountered there were the likes of Tufted Duck, Shellduck, Shoveler Duck, Gadwall, Mandarin Duck, and Great Crested Grebe, most of which are very rarely encountered on my patch ! Also my first Lesser Whitethroat for the year was heard, as well as song from a Cuckoo. A Willow Warbler, a Whitethroat, a few Swallows and  House Martins were the only other summer migrants seen, in a very pleasant couple of hours out.

here's a few photo's of the day  :-)

This Grass Snake was in a hedge under a feeding station

Grass Snake

Long Tailed Tit

Coot

Mute Swan

Mute Swan