Pittswood Birds

Rain throughout this morning made for another wet visit, but it was, at least, a remarkably warm day for mid October.

I made my way to the Scrubby Woods and Lakes first thing this morning, via the Small holding and Wet Woods, this will become the norm now that the chance of finding any migrant birds over on the sheep pasture and paddocks at Migrant Alley begins to diminish as the Autumn passage comes to an end here.

There was at least some shelter from the rain under the canopy of the Wet Woods, which itself is beginning to refill with water now, so hopefully I might get a Teal drop in later in the year, in the mean time though its pretty dark and quiet in there, just GREAT TITS, GREAT SPOTTED WOOD PECKER, MOORHEN plus the odd WREN and DUNNOCK can be found.

On reaching the Scrubby Woods and Lakes, I gave the water on the Main Lake a scan, finding 12 MALLARDS, a CORMORANT and 4 Moorhen, plus a GREY HERON, then moving along to the Ornamental Lake I was given the real treat of finding a pair of MUTE SWANS (75), this is a real rare species to have on my patch, especially actually on one of the small lakes!  Fortunately I did have my camera today, but the light was so awful, I just took a few record shots. There was no sign of any Mandarin Ducks today, nor a Kingfisher, the smallest of the 3 lakes was checked, but nothing was on it at all.

The adjacent Scrubby Woods was pretty active this morning, a flock of a dozen or so LONG TAILED TITS were seen, with them were a TREECREEPER, a NUTHATCH, 2 COAL TIT and 2 GOLDREST, as well as a few BLUE and GREAT TITS. BULLFINCHES were heard calling, and a pair of MISTLE THRUSH alarm called as they went over, heralding the arrival of a SPARROWHAWK!

The rain got heavier as I moved out of the Woods into the Ashes lane field, then through the Pub Field and onto a circuit of Migrant Alley and a check of the Greenhouse Grounds, by which time I was pretty wet and miserable, especially as I didn't really find much, just the odd MEADOW PIPIT, GREEN WOODPECKER, and flyover HERRING GULL. The KESTREL pair were at their usual posts though giving good views. I was only out for a little over two hours in all, and the low species tally of 36 reflected that, but at least I did add Mute Swan to the ever growing October list, which at 75 is just two off the October record tally! Still plenty of time left to add something else, maybe a Common Gull, or another Duck species will turn up ?

Mute Swans - the 75th species for the month!

It was pretty dire light, but I got a few shots off

They were curious of me, probably after some food!

Mute Swan

Mute Swan