Pittswood Birds

It was mostly overcast and cloudy for this mornings patch walk, only brightening up towards the end of it.

No new spring migrant species were recorded today, but there were now 3 CHIFFCHAFFS in the Scrubby Woods, and also one singing in the Greenhouse Grounds, where a SPARROWHAWK zipped through early on, and later a female KESTREL was seen perched on the guttering.

Kestrel

The YELLOWHAMMER was again singing from the Ashes Lane Field, also seen on the sheep pasture here were a mixed flock of winter thrushes, at least 50 were REDWING, and at least 18 were FIELDFARE, it was hard to count them as they bobbed around in the relatively long grass!

After my visit to the lakes and Scrubby Woods, where not much was recorded that got me excited, apart from the 3 singing Chiffchaffs, I headed off over to the fields again. The Pub Field actually had some birds on it this morning, 6 LINNETS and a pair of LAPWING, not much, but both good species to find here now, especially Lapwing, its only the second record of this species this year.

Over at Migrant Alley I watched a procession of Gulls go over, 2 of those were LESSER BLACK BACKED, with most of the rest HERRING GULLS and BLACK HEADED GULLS, but a single COMMON GULL (65) was also noted, the first here this month. March 2014 moves up in the table of bird species recorded and now stands in 6th place out of 13, joint with March 2006.

From my skywatching seat I had 3 BUZZARDS in the same binocular view, and three CORMORANTS flew over, a few MEADOW PIPITS and SKYLARKS continue to pass through, but nothing else as yet  :-)

In the brighter spells this afternoon, I did some garden bird photography, the LESSER REDPOLL turned up again, so i had to get a snap of it!

Lesser Redpoll

I was mainly practicing with the 400mm lens I have borrowed, it does take a good image  :-)

STARLING

CHAFFINCH

GOLDFINCH