Pittswood Birds

A view across the Ashes lane Field, just before sunrise

It was a cracking spring day today, with blue skies and warm sunshine all day - brilliant stuff  :-)

I undertook a full patch walk, and in the five hour visit recorded 48 species, only missing Coal Tit, Bullfinch and Sparrowhawk from what has been seen on recent visits. Nothing too exciting was seen except a CHIFFCHAFF, this one was my first singer, which it did after mobbing the LITTLE OWL that was on the old shack in the Ashes Lane Field.

FIELDFARE and REDWING are just about still being seen, with just 2 of the former and 6 of the latter, the only other winter visitor left here is the MEADOW PIPIT, 2 were on the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley.

The half dozen CANADA GEESE are still carrying around the feral BARNACLE GOOSE over on the lakes, where the MUTE SWAN and COOT pair remain the highlights. A pair of MANDARIN DUCKS were the best of what was seen in the Wet Woods, although it was fun watching two Albino Squirrels chasing around a large Oak there, I tried for some photo's of them, but they are extremely wary!

Over flyers of note today were, a GREY HERON, a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL, a HERRING GULL, a pair of BUZZARDS and a KESTREL.

Common Buzzard, just look at that blue sky too!!

Three species of Butterfly were on the wing, Small tortoiseshell, Comma, and Peacock Butterfly, the latter being my first this year  ;-)

Comma Butterfly

Peacock Butterfly, the first of 2014