Pittswood Birds

A mostly sunny morning this morning, just high thin cloud and a light breeze made for pleasant conditions.

I spent 5 hours this morning checking the Greenhouse Grounds, Migrant Alley, the bean fields and the Ashes Lane field, no visit was made to the scrubby Woods and lake area today. I still tallied up 40 species for the visit though, even without the woodland species and lake dwellers, few that the latter are  :-)

The Greenhouse Grounds was host to fewer birds today, the most abundant species there being the GOLDFINCH which fed on the thistle heads, but WHITETHROAT, BLACKCAP, and CHIFFCHAFF can still be found with a bit of patience. It was good to once again record all three Wagtail species, with the PIED WAGTAILS frequenting the greenhouse roofs, and at least 2 single YELLOW WAGTAILS calling as they went over, most surprising though was finding 3 GREY WAGTAILS at the water intake area.

A flock of 150-200 STARLINGS were out on the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley, with the 50 or so ROOKS and their JACKDAW allies, a scan of all the fence post only produced a LINNET pair today, however things looked up a bit when 4 more Yellow Wagtails dropped into one of the paddocks, too far out for a photo though.

The bean fields were hiding plenty of birds, DUNNOCK, WREN, ROBIN, CHAFFINCH, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT at least 7 Chiffchaff and a Whitethroat were all seen, I hung around here for quite some time hoping for my first Sedge Warbler of the year to pop up, but to no avail.

I made my way down to the Ashes Lane Field, being passed over head by the GREYLAG and CANADA GEESE all the while, and yet more Yellow wagtails, 5 more passed over going south. At the Ashes Lane Field, which is now covered in short weeds, all seemed still and empty, until I spied a WHEATEAR on the track that goes through the field, I presumed this to be the one seen yesterday at Migrant Alley. A look around the old shack revealed no Owls today, and the run off pool at the bottom of the field has dried up completely, no chance of a sandpiper there now  :-(

An hour was spent back on my seat at Migrant Alley, ending the visit with a sky watch, where I saw a GREY HERON, a single SKYLARK, a few HERRING GULLS, one of the local KESTRELS, 4 BUZZARDS soaring together on the thermals, a HOBBY, which was watched chasing the SWALLOWS, and a SPARROWHAWK, making up 4 raptor species for the day.

Nothing for the months list today, so that remains in 6th place out of twelve, if any more new species turn up in August they will be exciting birds, as all the usual stuff has now been found :-)
Photo's today -

Immature Goldfinch on the thistles at the Greenhouse Grounds

Immature Goldfinch

I took a few photo's of these  :-)

Adult Goldfinch

Immature Robin

Immature SONGTHRUSH