Pittswood Birds

I made three ninety minute patch visits today, the first was over to the lakes on Scrubby Woods at 06:30hrs, when the weather was pretty awful (again!) a strong wind blew drizzly rain across the area, and it barely got light for the first 3 hours of today.

On the lakes I checked up on the COOT family, both parents were feeding the young, of which I could see at least 3 from where I stood, the GREYLAG GEESE pair are still incubating eggs, while eleven CANADA GEESE chased each other around the water noisily. The only other lake dwellers today were 3 male MALLARDS and 4 MOORHEN. A scan around the bankside vegetation was made, but little found, although I did get to hear my first WILLOW WARBLER song this year, one of my favourite songsters  :-)  I stayed around for 20 mins or so hoping to here a Cuckoo call, but failed to hear one, I wonder if I will this year?

My second patch visit  was around 10:00am, when I walked the fields and Paddocks of Migrant Alley, the wind was still strong and gusty, making it hard to hear any overhead calls, but I did hear then see a YELLOWHAMMER go over, and at least 2 MEADOW PIPIT. 4 LINNETS perched up on the fence line, not quite the Wheatear or Whinchat that can appear her though ! I did have some fortune however, whilst walking the Wooded Headland I found my first WHITETHROAT (87,71) of the year, its arrival here is 2 days earlier than the 12 year median arrival date, and the third earliest spring record. Despite much sky watching, no other new migrant species were seen today, the best on offer was a couple of SPARROWHAWKS being harassed by the four SWALLOWS from the College Stables, and 3 HOUSE MARTINS that got blown through the area.

The third visit was induced by the appearance of the sun, once again I set of for a circuit of Migrant Alley, and a bit of a sky watch, but again little was seen, a large raptor flew over very high up, probably a buzzard, but it was just a black smudge in the sky, the strong wind didn't help as I couldn't keep my bins steady! I had seen that the Tree Nursery field was now being ploughed, and took a look to see what was taking advantage of the freshly turned soil, I found 30 ROOKS, 11 JACKDAWS, 4 MAGPIES, 8 STOCK DOVES, and a dozen HERING GULLS with 2 LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS.

The Tree Nursery field, going under the plough, such a loss for the wildlife. At least some kind of strip has been left unploughed around the edges of the field, only very thin though. Last year this field held two pairs of Whitethroat, imagine, they have flown all the way from Africa and found their nesting habitat gone!

Talking of nest sites, I found this Chaffinch nest in the ''hedgerow'' at Migrant Alley, and along Ashes Lane a LONG TAILED TIT pair have started a nest, I'll keep an eye on both, but I dont give much for the Chaffinches chances of survival, the hedge has been flailed to bits and has little to conceal the nest, it will make easy prey for a predator. Cant blame the predator, its the lack of good nest sites that takes the blame  :-(

........and here is a Chaffinch this ones from my garden  :-)

STARLING on fence post at Migrant Alley

This Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly was also seen this afternoon, not easy to get a decent photo with the 500mm lens!