Pittswood Birds

The forecast was for rain this morning, so I was pleased to see it was still dry when I left for my patch visit at 06:15, however the clouds soon gathered and rain fell before I had been out an hour.

The first bird on my list, as I left the house, was a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL, it flew low over, not often that gets on the list first! BULLFINCH wasn't too far down that list, when a lovely male bird was seen perched on the telephone wires along Ashes lane.

I entered the Greenhouse Grounds, seeing one young KESTREL on the rooftop, before making my way to the scrubby area, there, I was amazed to see, in one small bush, LINNET, GREENFINCH, CHAFFINCH, BLACKCAP, WHITETHROAT, CHIFFCHAFF, GREAT TIT and BLUE TIT, nearby were BLACKBIRD, SONGTHRUSH, WREN, DUNNOCK, ROBIN, PIED WAGTAIL and a JAY, quite a gathering!

I headed out onto the fields and paddocks at Migrant Alley, when the rain came in, I was caught out in the open and got well wet as I tried to rush back to the Greenhouse Grounds for cover  :-(  Once the rain eased I headed of home for a change of clothes!

The rain stopped soon enough and I headed back out, walking over to the Scrubby Woods and Lake area. I arrived around 09:00hrs and found little of note, but thought I might just get to add Long tailed Tit or Mistle Thrush to the months list, but failed to do so. I noted TREECREEPER, GOLDCREST, a few more Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs plusa singing COAL TIT, a scan of the berry bearing shrub that had the Garden Warbler in recently, didn't produce it today!

By 10:30hrs I was back at Migrant Alley, and did the circuit of the fields and paddocks that got interrupted earlier, by now the sun was breaking through, but I was seeing very little. I got to my seat and sat down, a bit disappointed at not finding any passage migrants, however, someone up there felt sorry for me, because as I scanned down the hedgerow that borders the Greenhouse Grounds I watched a very rufus tailed bird get chased into the Scrubby area, I went straight down to locate it, but before I could, a WHINCHAT (101, 62) popped up onto a fence post right in front of me! Fantastic! Only short views were enjoyed before it flew off into the Greenhouse Grounds, Migrant Alley didn't let me down after all  :-)

There was still the Rufus tailed mystery bird to locate though, and I made my way to where I saw it dive into the undergrowth, as I reached the place, it flew out and alighted in the same tree that all the birds were seen this morning, I got my bins on it and saw a glorious NIGHTINGALE (102,63) ! Wow! This is the first Autumn Nightingale I have recorded on my patch, and the first one to visit my patch since spring 2011. Again I had just brief views of it before it flew off into cover at the Greenhouse Grounds.

As it had brightened up, I rushed off home for my camera, but when I arrived back at the Greenhouse Grounds and the border hedgerow, the Whinchat and Nightingale were of course nowhere to be seen  :-(  I walked the paddocks and fields again, and checked the hedges but I didn't see either of the birds again.

The only bird photo I got was of this ROOK !

ROOK - a consolation!

I also saw this Migrant Hawker Dragonfly, but having my 500mm lens on made for a very poor photo. I dont know why I tried really  :-)

Migrant Hawker, Immature Male

Migrant Hawker, Immature Male

Later this afternoon, the sun came out proper, and I was tempted back out, I was of course hoping to see the star birds again, but I didn't  :-) Maybe just as well, as i had changed lenses. I headed over to the Wooded Headland where I had taken the poor Migrant hawker photo's earlier, but didn't see the beastie, I did however get more Common Darter photo's  :-)

Common Darter

Common Darter

Common Darter