Pittswood Birds

There were some slightly brighter skies this morning, and even a glimpse of sunshine later on, allowing me to get out for a full patch walk.

The fours hour patch visit gave me a good mix of birds, totaling 45 species, which is good going for a November day. I was pleased to add FIELDFARE (57) to the months list, two singles flew over the Lakes area, where only a KINGFISHER had joined the resident MALLARDS and MOORHENS.

Whilst checking the adjacent Scrubby Woods, I heard SKYLARK, LESSER REDPOLL and SISKIN calling as they flew over, whilst the woods themselves were reasonably busy, with REDWING, BLACKBIRD and SONGTHRUSH feeding on Hawthorn berries, as well as BULLFINCH feeding on Ash keys, plus all the woodland species of GOLDCREST, COAL TIT, GREAT TIT, BLUE TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, JAY, and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER were all seen, a MISTLETHRUSH sang all the while I was there.

Out on the fields, just two MEADOW PIPITS and another Skylark were seen, along with the massed ROOKS and a around 25 STARLINGS, more noteworthy were the overflying BLACK HEADED and HERRING GULLS of which a continual passage of each were moving West, with just a single LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL. Higher up in the sky the passage of WOOD PIGEONS was again seen, many hundreds headed South, all that looking up yielded my first GREYLAG GOOSE (58) of the month too, just one flew over calling.

A look through the Greenhouse Grounds at the end of my walk provided the usual WRENS, DUNNOCKS, ROBINS, PIED WAGTAIL, GOLDFINCH, CHAFFINCH, GREEN WOODPECKER, and the KESTREL pair. A SPARROWHAWK flashed through, just as I was photographing this Blackbird, I just got my shots before it dived into deep cover!

Blackbird. A brief spell of sunshine meant some action for the camera

Enjoying the few berries that are left on the un-battered side of the hedge

Blackbird

An hour or so after the sunshine more heavy rain moved in  :-(