Pittswood Birds

There was heavy rain and gales during the night, but it dawned bright and partly sunny, although the wind was still strong and gusty at times.

It was the wind that made for a very frustrating visit, nothing could be heard above the roar of it through the trees, and most birds seemed to be hunkered down and keeping out of sight. My visit to the lakes was only noteworthy for the presence of the KINGFISHER and the absence of the Mute Swans that had been here for the previous 6 days.

I watched a couple of male BULLFINCH in their favoured Hawthorn bush, where I was fortunate to pick up a GOLDCREST deeper in. Apart from that there was nothing to see!

I tried my luck over at the Ashes lane Field, then the Pub Field, but it was very hard work in the constantly blowing wind, I fleetingly heard SKYLARK, MEADOW PIPIT and PIED WAGTAIL, their calls being drowned out by the wind, a BUZZARD flew low over, being chased by 3 JACKDAWS.

I had half decided to call it a day, but thought i'd have a sky watch over Migrant Alley, just in case something different got blown through, not much was in the air at all, a few immature HERRING GULLS went over, and a KESTREL was being harassed by some ROOKS, but then, in amongst a flock of 11 BLACK HEADED GULLS, I picked out a single COMMON GULL (76) my first of the Autumn, not seen one since April, so it was worth the sky watching effort after all  :-)

The Common Gull takes the months list to 76, just one behind the October record tally set in 2010, if this weather calms down I might just have a chance to beat that record !

This afternoon it remained windy, with some squally showers, but some sunny intervals allowed me to get some photo's from my garden feeders to fill the ''blog folder'' up, should keep the posts brightened for a few days!

Here's a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER and DUNNOCK to kick off with  :-)

Great Spotted Woodpecker - the fat logs always bring them in  :-)

Managed to mess this shot up by chopping its tail off - Duh!

This Dunnock was sunning itself on the wall that's on two sides of my garden