Pittswood Birds

No wind, rain, or fog this morning, just plain old overcast, cant complain at that! It at least allowed me to get out for a good five hours and find a good tally of 48 bird species, which I extended to 49 for the day when the LESSER REDPOLLS were seen again at my garden feeders this afternoon, they have gone from two to three birds  :-)

That day total could easily of been fifty if the Kestrel and Little Owl had obliged, they have been regular so far this month, but that's birding!  The spring theme continued right from the off, when both GREENFINCH and CHAFFINCH were heard singing for the first time this year, they were joined in song by WREN, ROBIN, DUNNOCK, GOLDCREST, SONGTHRUSH, MISTLETHRUSH, and STOCK DOVE, if you can call their ''ooer'', ''ooer'', ''ooer'''' a song!

The MUTE SWANS, a lone COOT, plus a KINGFISHER proved to be the best on the lakes today, but a dozen GREYLAG GEESE thought about dropping in, but passed over in the end, as did 4 CORMORANTS. A large Oak tree in the Scrubby woods was proving popular for the likes of TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, COAL TIT and LONG TAILED TIT, as I wathed these I heard BULLFINCH and SISKIN flyover.

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER was the only addition to my day list as I walked the Wet Woods, but more Goldcrest, Treecreeper a pair of MALLARDS and plenty of BLUE and GREAT TITS were also seen there.

I found a pair of LINNETS in the Small Holding, along with a GREEN WOODPECKER, a lone FIELDFARE, 8 REDWING, and a few BLACKBIRDS and THRUSHES, this is the busiest it's been here for a while.

I spent some time walking the Ashes Lane Field, and Pub Field mostly scanning the sky, as little was on the floor, most of what was seen flying over were Gulls, BLACK HEADED and HERRING, but 3 GREAT BLACK BACKED GULLS were a good find.

I got to Migrant alley to find a party of school kids being led around the pasture and paddocks, with another party in the wooded headland, which looks like its being turned into a school study area - that'll be the end of the breeding Turtle doves and summer warblers that use the area to nest in then  :-(

A work crew were cleaning the Greenhouses, so I just sat and watched the sky for half an hour or so, but apart from more Herring and Black Headed Gulls, not much was seen, just a SPARROWHAWK, a single SKYLARK, and a couple of PIED WAGTAILS. Once the school kids and their booming teacher ( maybe the kids were deaf?) had moved on, 8 MEADOW PIPITS returned to the sheep pasture, and a hen PHEASANT dropped in and run along the fenceline. A little later around 60 Black headed Gulls and a flock of maybe 75-100 ROOKS and JACKDAWS returned to the paddocks.

The camera stayed at home today, as it was so gloomy out there, but I manged some kind of garden photo's early this afternoon during a brief brighter interlude, only the usual fare, the Redpolls arrived when it turned dull again unfortunately.

Coal Tit

Long Tailed tit

STARLING

Dunnock, in mid song  :-)

Great Spotted woodpecker

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