Pittswood Birds

This morning the weather was much better than recent mornings, with some long sunny spells enjoyed during the 4 hour patch visit.

The birding picked up a bit too, with 42 species being recorded, but there were some notable omissions, like Songthrush, Greenfinch, Pheasant and Nuthatch, all normally found quite easily, although there was a pair of Nuthatch's and 4 Greenfinches at my garden feeders when I got home  :-)

The November bird list continues to climb rapidly, with another 5 species added this morning, the most exciting of which was a CROSSBILL (48) that alighted briefly at the top of a pine tree that stands over on the banks of the Main Lake, a very nice bird to have on my patch! A few minutes later 5 CANADA GEESE (49) flew over, but they didn't come down onto the lake to join the MALLARD, MOORHEN, CORMORANT and KINGFISHER found there today.

Whilst in the Scrubby Woods, noting the BULLFINCH, of which a good total of 8 were seen, I heard the calls of SISKIN (50) going over, bringing up the 50th species for November  :-)

Out on the Ashes Lane Field, Pub Field and Migrant Alley, it was again very quiet, two MEADOW PIPITS and a few SKYLARKS went over, but with the stream of BLACK HEADED and HERRING GULLS that were seen passing through, I did find a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL (51) for the November list.

As I sat on my sky watching seat I noted a few REDWING going through, and the KESTREL pair up hunting, but I wasn't there long before I heard the call of a RING NECKED PARAKEET (52), which I tracked down to the Greenhouse Copse, at first it was very wary, but after about forty minutes, it accepted my presence and fed contentedly on the keys of Field maple, allowing me to get a few half decent images, the first of this species I have taken on my patch, very satisfying  :-) Ive now got some sort of image for 120 of the 139 species that have occurred on my patch.

Here's a few of the better images I took.

Ring Necked Parakeet

A somewhat controversial species in the UK

I've no problem with them being here though

They are accused of hogging all the natural nest holes, humans destroy more !

They are accused of being noisy too

Rather their raucous calls than the incessant barking dogs we get round here!

Yep, i'd rather a Ring Necked Parakeet anyday