Pittswood Birds

Early cloud cleared this morning, to leave it lovely, sunny and springlike for my 4 hour patch walk, where virtually every resident bird species on my patch was found, all bar the Sparrowhawk, Little Owl (surprisingly) and COAL TIT, but the latter was seen at my garden feeders as I was having a quick tea break  ;-) So, in all, a huge daylist of 53 species was recorded.

Early on in my walk a GREY HERON flew over, as did this PEREGRINE, I just managed to get a silhouette image of it....

Peregrine

On the lakes today the MUTE SWAN and COOT pair were joined by just 4 MALLARD, and only 2 MOORHEN, there were also 19 CANADA GEESE though, plus 2 GREYLAG GEESE and the feral BARNACLE GOOSE, a CORMORANT watched on from the top of a bankside tree.

One of the Coot pair

The Scrubby Woods and Wet Woods were ringing with the songs and calls of BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, GOLDCREST, CHAFFINCH, BULLFINCH, SISKIN, NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, GREAT SPOTTED and GREEN WOODPECKER, as well as STOCK DOVE, MISTLETHRUSH, SONGTHRUSH, BLACKBIRD, WREN, ROBIN, and DUNNOCK.

Goldcrest

 Over on the fields today a group of gulls were disturbed and flew up and away, but I managed to sort out HERRING GULL, LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL and BLACK HEADED GULL as they did so. Around 60 ROOKS were also seen on the pasture, they were with 20-30 JACKDAWS, the odd single MEADOW PIPIT was heard, but the SKYLARKS were more obvious, 4 birds getting up and singing every few minutes. I was pleased to add YELLOWHAMMER (64) to the months list, a pair were seen well as they flew over the Greenhouse Grounds, the February list is still struggling though, it has now reached the fifth best total of the past 13 years, last Februarys record total of 70 species is looking unassailable now!

Whilst looking and not finding the Little Owls in the Greenhouse Copse, a PHEASANT flew up, and overhead a BUZZARD was seen, the Copse did provide views of a few dozen FIELDFARE and REDWING though.

A short visit around the Greenhouse Grounds around noon was not too successful - I'd seen most of what was on offer after all  :-)  But I did catch up with the female KESTREL. Later, back home in the garden, Bumble bees and Honey Bees were visiting the now fully open Crocus' and mini Daffodils, a chance for me to practice some macro photography - I am a bit rusty, but here's a few images  ;-)

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