Pittswood Birds

The up and down weather continues! This morning it was back to the rain, which I allowed to clear before setting off out, but that wasn't until 08:30 unfortunately. There were still a few birds about at that late hour though  :-)

I watched a pair of LONG TAILED TITS in the hedge as I set off along Ashes lane, no doubt they are already prospecting for a nest site. On the lakes today it was quite busy,  a single CORMORANT was fishing on the small lake, 4 GREYLAG GEESE, 8 CANADA GEESE, the feral BARNACLE GOOSE and a pair of GOOSANDER were on the main lake, the MUTE SWAN and COOT pair were on the ornamental lake as ever, but only MALLARDS and MOORHENS were present with them.

One of the Greylag Geese

There wasn't so much activity or singing in either the Scrubby Woods or Wet Woods today, although I did hear a GOLDCREST singing, and saw a pair of NUTHATCH chasing through a large oak tree.

Not a great deal was on any of the fields today, I noticed a large pile of manure has been tipped in the corner of the Pub Field, ready to be spread over it, maybe that will attract a few birds down! Migrant Alley was only attracting JACKDAWS, ROOKS and WOODPIGEONS, plus the odd SKYLARK, it remains to be seen if this migrant favoured part of my patch will still attract anything in a few weeks time after all the disturbance and change that has gone on there.

The Greenhouse Copse was again home to one of the LITTLE OWLS, and the Greenhouse Grounds looked good, as I approached I could see the half dozen MEADOW PIPITS flitting around, plus a group of CHAFFINCH and GOLDFINCH in the Alder trees, 3 LINNETS were also in the tall boundary hedge, but as I set my camera up for some action a SPARROWHAWK flew in, and everything flew out! SONGTHRUSH, BLACKBIRD, DUNNOCK, ROBIN, PIED WAGTAIL the whole lot all flew up and away, whilst the likes of the WRENS and TITS all alarmed deep from within cover. I saw where the Sprawk went, and watched it chasing something around the poly Tunnel frames, so whilst it was busy I sneaked up as close as I dare, and got a few images of it :-)

Sparrowhawk

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A brief sky watch was had, but very little was seen, just 6 HERRING GULL, a GREY HERON and a BUZZARD were the best of it. On the walk home I noticed 3 REDWING in a large Garden, a bit distant for a photo, but I took one any way, its been a long while since I have had a chance to photograph a winter thrush of any kind!

Redwing

A short potter around the Greenhouse Grounds just after midday was not very productive, however, it provide me with my first Small tortoiseshell butterfly of the year, I got a record photo :-)

Small tortoiseshell

Later this afternoon I noticed that that the male LESSER REDPOLL was back at the feeders in my garden, as well as at least 6 SISKINS, the Siskins stayed around for some photo's but the Redpoll didn't, maybe i'll get lucky again before it moves back north. A surprise in the garden was seeing a fully fledged WOODPIGEON, blimey, the mother must have been on eggs during all those storms!

I've got quite a few Siskin photo's from yesterday and today, i'll post them all eventually, along with the other garden bird images I have have taken during the brighter moments of recent days, here's a couple I was pleased with, the colour of the male Siskin as it sat in the low sunshine was just fantastic!

Male Siskin

Female Siskin