Pittswood Birds

With little wind and some sunny spells this morning, it felt much better than yesterday, the birding was better too, in the five hour full patch walk, I encountered 50 species.

I was pleased to see the LESSER WHITETHROAT back at the Greenhouse Grounds, along with BLACKCAP, CHIFFCHAFF and COMMON WHITETHROAT, even better was hearing a WILLOW WARBLER singing from the Greenhouse Copse, where at least 4 more Chiffchaff were seen feeding.

Lesser Whitethroat, just about within camera range

Lesser Whitethroat

No sign of any migrant 'chats' at Migrant Alley, but it was good to see a family of BULLFINCH at the Wooded Headland there, the adjacent bean fields had a SKYLARK up singing, plus a YELLOWHAMMER also giving its pleasant song.

The lakes today had a surprise visitor - the BARNACLE GOOSE (60) the first sighting of it since June, a welcome addition to the August list none-the-less  :-)  Also on the lakes were 2 CANADA GEESE, 2 MALLARD, and 15 MOORHEN, of varying ages, two looked to be newly hatched .

GOLDCREST, COAL TIT, a noisy family party of  NUTHATCH and another Bullfinch family were all seen in the Scrubby Woods, where in a large berry filled shrub I found my first GARDEN WARBLER (100,61) of the year, feeding with a Blackcap family, - the 100th species of the year has been reached !

I made my way over to my sky watching seat for an hour, scanning the sky I added LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL, HERRING GULL, HOUSE MARTIN, and GREYLAG GOOSE to the list, as well as the KESTREL that I had not seen earlier, plus 3 soaring BUZZARDS and at least 100 SWIFTS, they were feeding over the Greenhouse Grounds, attracted no doubt by the insects being thrown up my the adjacent Rape crop that was being harvested. On the way home I noted two GREY WAGTAILS at the Greenhouse Grounds, hanging around the water intake area.

Grey Wagtail, even further away than the Lesser whitethroat, worth a photo though

Whilst at home, eating Brunch, I had the good fortune to see a Brimstone Butterfly in the garden, it was attracted to my new nectar border of Scabious and other wildflowers I have recently planted. Brimstone is the only Butterfly species I have encountered on my patch without getting any sort of photo, so you can imagine I was eager for it to settle, which it did, I quickly rushed to get my camera, fumbled around with it to change the lens, then rushed back down into the garden, fully expecting the Brimstone to be gone, but no, it was still there, and I finally added brimstone to my photographic records, brilliant ! ( you can see all the Pittswood Butterflies photographed here )

Brimstone Butterfly, what a stunner!

My first photo of one at Pittswood  :-)