Pittswood Birds

Peacock Butterfly, this photo was taken yesterday, in some lovely warm conditions

The wet weather this morning put payed to any early patch visit, and I had already organized an ''off patch'' trip to Sevenoaks Wildlife reserve for the afternoon, so my only patch visit concerned a a quick, late morning walk around the Paddocks and Wooded Headland at Migrant Alley.

The temperature had dropped from 23c yesterday to just 12c today, that and the time of day, made for a very quite walk indeed. Only a couple of CHIFFCHAFFS and a BLACKCAP called from the Wooded Headland, I had hoped for a Turtle Dove or Lesser Whitethroat, but they have still to arrive here. Five or six SWALLOWS zoomed very low over the paddocks, trying to glean the few insects that were about, and the pair of WHITETHROAT called from the Greenhouse Grounds as I passed on my way back home but that was it for the summer birds - a bit disappointing  :-(

The afternoon visit to Sevenoaks reserve was again cool and showery,  but of the 49 species seen, I did record my first Reed Warbler this year, also a Common Sandpiper and at least 4 Little Ringed Plovers. A Redshank seen there was apparently a bit of a rarity for this reserve :-)

Back on patch early tomorrow - weather permitting, when hopefully one or two more summer species will have arrived.