Pittswood Birds

More overnight rain, then drizzle for the remainder of the day made for some very depressing conditions  :-(

Out on my patch this morning, where I spent just 90 minutes, everything was sodden, soaked and muddy, as it has been for two months now, I must confess that ive had just about enough of it, and the thought of going home and watching my garden feeders seemed ever more tempting, so that's what I did!

In the 90 minutes I was out, I checked the lakes, where 28 MALLARD, 6 MOORHEN, a CORMORANT, the MUTE SWAN pair, at least one pair of MANDARIN DUCK, the lone COOT and a KINGFISHER, which I watched catch a fish and bash it on a branch, were the birds seen there.

On the walk there and back across the Ashes Lane Field, I noticed an increase in REDWING, all moving about at speed, only stopping briefy in the woods and large gardens, they are getting ready to move back home I reckon. I also saw the LITTLE OWL in the old shack, the first time I've noted it there since the 5th.

Back home, with tea and biscuits to hand, I spent a few hours watching my garden feeders, mostly a case of counting the BLUE TITS, of which there were at least 13 at any one time, GREAT TITS were also frequent visitors, with 4 being the most seen, two other Tit species turned up, the COAL TIT, a pair came and went, and the LONG TAILED TITS, 8 were feeding every half hour or so.

GOLDFINCH were feeding on the sunflower hearts, just half a dozen of them, and 4 CHAFFINCH joined them at times, but only one GREENFINCH turned up, to think I used to have flocks of over 50 visiting here once! Only one HOUSE SPARROW was seen, another bird that used to turn up in flocks of 30 plus once, and two DUNNOCKS moved about under the shrubs, along with a WREN. Up to 14 COLLARD DOVES come in, quickly scoff the dropped sunflower hearts, and rapidly move off again, they know the SPARROWHAWK is a regular here, and indeed, three failed attempts at a kill were made by it this afternoon. STARLINGS, BLACKBIRDS and ROBINS are each represented by only two birds, and single NUTHATCH, WOODPIGEON, MAGPIE and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER made the tally of species seen to 19, that was extended to 20 when a GREEN WOODPECKER flew in to feed on some impaled apples on my Elder tree, a good bird to get in my garden  :-)

Flyovers of note included a BUZZARD and a KESTREL, not sure I would have seen much more if I had stayed out in the mud and rain!

No photo's were taken in todays gloom, but i've a couple of images of the regular garden visitors left in my blog folder  :-)

Starling

Starling

Long Tailed Tit