Pittswood Birds

''The Old Shack'' home to a couple of Little Owls

Once again after a clear and frosty night the cloud soon streamed in, leaving a mostly cloudy morning, but at least the wind had virtually dropped out and it was dry.

After seeing to the builders at home, I left for my patch visit at 09:00hrs, heading straight to the lakes via the Small Holding and wet Woods, arriving at the lakes I could see the MUTE SWAN pair had been joined by 16 MALLARDS on the Ornamental Lake, but I didn't see the Kingfisher today. On the main Lake another 8 Mallard were seen, along with a pair of MANDARIN DUCK, while the last and smallest of the lakes had just another 5 Mallard on it.

The nearby Scrubby Woods had plenty of activity within, and in the still conditions I could pick out the calls of a flock of LONG TAILED TITS which I tracked down, finding among them COAL TIT, GOLDCREST, TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, and a few GREAT and BLUE TITS, a SPARROWHAWK caused some alarm amongst the flock as it was flushed from its hiding place by 2 JAYS, and 4 MISTLETHRUSH chased around a large Oak, with another heard singing in the distance.

I had time to visit the Greenhouse Grounds on the way home, and it too was more lively of late, with a mixed flock of 40 or so birds, containing mainly GOLDFINCH, but at least 8 CHAFFINCH, 7 SISKIN, 2 MEADOW PIPIT and at least 2 LESSER REDPOLLS (50) were also present, the latter taking the months tally to 50 species at last, as well as giving me a distant photo  :-)

A LITTLE OWL called from a large adjacent garden, and the male KESTREL was also seen, 2 PIED WAGTAILS kept that company :-)

Lesser Redpoll, two were seen feeding on the seeds of Willowherb

A bit more light and  closer proximity would have made for better images !