Pittswood Birds

I had to be out to meet a friend at 10:00hrs this morning, so spent from 06:15hrs until 09:30hrs out at the Greenhouses and of course Migrant Alley.

It was cool and overcast with the odd spit of rain on the light North wind, which moved the low lying mist across the fields. At first there was little to be found, but as the gloom began to lift, the birds began to show, GOLDFINCH started to flock and feed on the thistles at the Greenhouse Grounds, and were joined by a few GREENFINCH, the odd WREN, ROBIN and DUNNOCK flitted about the vegetation, and a KESTREL sat up on the greenhouse roof surveying all that went on.

I was on the lookout for summer migrants though, and the first to show were 2 CHIFFCHAFF, a few minutes later the 'tack' 'tack' of a BLACKCAP was heard, and a female bird was located, just a few seconds later the first of 2 WHITETHROATS showed up, then even better a LESSER WHITETHROAT popped up. I heard a GREY WAGTAIL fly over, and managed to locate it in the gloom, it was followed soon after by another one, and before the long the continued passage of the YELLOW WAGTAILS was observed, with at least 5 birds in the area, 3 of them alighting on the paddocks at Migrant Alley, the PIED WAGTAILS that sat up on the Greenhouse Roofs made it another ''three Wagtail species'' Day   :-)

Migrant Alley also had yet another WHINCHAT sat on one of the wooden fencelines, and a bit further along the same fence, two WHEATEAR were also sat, fantastic little trio  :-) Only the third Wheatear for August so far at Migrant Alley, but the 6th Whinchat, its normally the other way around  :-)

A short sky watch produced a flock of 32 HERRING GULLS, 2 BLACK HEADED GULLS, 2 GREY HERONS and the mass of GREYLAG and CANADA GEESE. My time to leave soon came though and I headed off home. Nothing new for the months list today, but some excellent birds found none the less  :-)  hopefully I'll add one or two more new species for the August list in the final few days, it stands at 71 presently, making it the fourth best August out of 12 thus far.

I was back out this afternoon though, when the clouds had parted and some warm sunshine was to be had, I had my camera this time and tracked down the Wheatear for some photo's, they allowed me to approach to within 6 meters, but the Whinchat didn't want to have its photo taken and didn't allow any sort of approach. I also tracked down the Lesser Whitethroat, it was in the same bare bush as yesterdays Reed Warbler, that had gone, but the 2 Chiffchaff were still there feeding. I sat for nearly an hour waiting for the Lesser Whitethroat to show, and although it did return to the bush, it was too brief for a photo, I needed a hide! I did get a bonus as I sat waiting though, when a HOBBY came over and chased the flock of SWALLOWS and HOUSE MARTINS around the sheep pasture  :-)

Wheatear! Always an 'icing on the cake' bird at Pittswood

A highlight in the year is finding Wheatear on the fenlines at Migrant Alley

They mostly always it and pose nicely too   :-)

Wheatear eying a snack :-)

One of the Chiffchaff in the bush that the Lesser whitethroat was seen in

Pity the Lesser Whitethroat didn't pose like these did

Still got a few Reed Warbler photo's from yesterday,  they're much rarer than Wheatear here

Reed Warbler from yesterday

Reed Warbler