Pittswood Birds

At last the sun was shining for my patch visit this morning and the wind had dropped out, what a difference it makes !

A few more species were added to yesterdays sightings, one of those was a flyover GREY HERON, not seen one for a couple of weeks now, also seen was a smart looking male HOBBY that sped over the bean fields behind Migrant Alley, a SPARROWHAWK also showed up today, making it a four raptor species day, with the KESTREL at the Greenhouse Grounds and 3 BUZZARDS that were soaring high over it  :-)

Highlight of the day for me though was finding a LESSER WHITETHROAT (66) at the Wooded Headlands to the north of Migrant Alley, it was scolding me constantly, so who knows it could be breeding here, it is a traditional breeding place for them, but it has been very secretive if it is breeding, ive not had a sniff of a Lesser Whitethroat since the middle of last month. It's a relief to have seen it though, as i've never not seen a Lesser Whitethroat on my patch in June, the months list moves up to 4th best from 12 with this addition  :-)

My continuing search for successful breeding species was also more fruitful today, when I found a family of GOLDCRESTS at the Small Holding, the 32nd species to have successfully reared young on my patch so far this year  :-)

Later this afternoon, as the day warmed up, I went and searched for some butterflies, I visited the Greenhouse Grounds as this is just about the last place left on my patch with any suitable habitat. I wasn't expecting much, however I was pleasantly surprised to find not only singles of Red Admiral, Peacock and Small Tortioseshell, but also my first Large Skipper and Meadow Browns of the year, fortunately I got a few photo's to show  :-)

Before I post those photo's though, i thought I'd show you these two, they're of the BLACKBIRD that is nesting in my neighbours garden ( the same that nested in my garden earlier in the year, but were predated) I was a bit miffed when I saw it taking a slow worm from my garden to feed to its young, slow worms are a real rarity in my garden!

Not the best images, but you can make out the poor slow worm!

I hope the young of this pair dont get predated after eating my slow worms!

Anyway back to the Butterflies  :-)

Small tortoiseshell, what a little stunner  :-)

First Large Skipper for the year, 8 days later than last years and 25 days later than 2011

Large Skipper

Large Skipper

Meadow Brown, first of year, 12 days later than 2012, and a month later than 2011 !

Meadow Brown