Pittswood Birds

The rain this morning turned heavier, and by 09:30hrs I had to end my visit early as the conditions deteriorated  :-(

In the two hours I was out I found 45 species, which was very good considering the very wet morning, nothing new for the November list was recorded, but there was enough found to keep me occupied.

Most of my visit was spent around the lakes and Scrubby Woods, where the three water bodies were again host to the usual MALLARDS and MOORHENS, with KINGFISHER, GREY HERON and CORMORANT adding interest.

There were plenty of passerines around the lake edges and Scrubby Woods, a small mixed flock of GOLDFINCH and CHAFFINCH also had a couple of GREENFINCH with them and at one point they were joined by 5 SISKIN and a couple of LESSER REDPOLL. A nice sight was watching 5 male BULLFINCH feeding on Ash keys that had been conveniently crushed on a drive for them. COAL TIT, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, GOLDCREST, TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, SONGTHRUSH, REDWING, BLACKBIRD, DUNNOCK, WREN, ROBIN and a singing MISTLE THRUSH all made for an interesting if wet time.

I made some effort to visit the Ashes lane Field, where a LITTLE OWL was seen on the old shack and the boundary hedgerow had a flock of a dozen or so LONG TAILED TITS moving along it. A very short look over the fields and Paddocks at Migrant Alley to check up on any gull species that might have been there was rewarded with a flock of 32 BLACK HEADED GULLS, but no Mediterranean Gull today. An overflying LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL was also seen as were a few HERRING GULLS, just one MEADOW PIPIT was recorded, but not a single skylark today.

By now the rain was heavy, so my walk through the Greenhouse Grounds was a bit rushed, but I noted the male KESTREL there, and a couple of PIED WAGTAILS on the Greenhouse Roofs.

Ive not got a single photo for today, not even from my garden feeders, the light was so poor, plus the SPARROWHAWK was back for most of the day,  however, a big flock of 15 Long Tailed Tits came in to feed whilst the Sprawk wasn't about  :-)