Pittswood Birds

The weather was better today, sunny and warm for the most part, but the birding wasn't as quite as good as in recent days.

My 4 hour patch walk produced 43 species, 10 less than yesterday, but that's a more realistic tally for my patch. No new spring visitors were found today, but most of the regulars turned out. The gang of BLACK HEADED GULLS were still loafing around on the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley, which they prefer to the newly ploughed and muck spread Pub Field, which isn't really living up to expectations at all, just a few ROOKS and WOODPIGEONS were feeding on it this morning.

The Ashes lane Field didn't provided me with the Little Owls today, but a couple of MEADOW PIPITS and a GREY HERON were seen flying over, a SKYLARK sang above the fields too.

On the lakes, it was very much 'as you were' CANADA GOOSE and GREYLAG GOOSE sat on their respective nests, the MUTE SWANS had taken a break from building theirs, but i'm still no closer to knowing if and where the COOTS have nested, a couple of MALLARD dabbled on the main lake and 4 MOORHENS were seen about the place.

Another good look through the Scrubby Woods didn't provide that first Blackcap of the year, so it was a case of listening to the song of CHIFFCHAFF, GOLDCREST, SONGTHRUSH, COAL TIT, WREN, ROBIN, and DUNNOCK as well as hearing the calls of GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, BULLFINCH, NUTHATCH and JAY.

In the Wet Woods I again saw a pair of MANDARIN DUCKS, and had a fortunate encounter with a TREECREEPER that was too busy trying to evict a BLUE TIT from a nest hole to worry about me taking its photo :-)

Treecreeper

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Back out on the fields I watched COMMON BUZZARD, KESTREL and SPARROWHAWK all up hunting, but as the morning grew warmer, the birds grew more scarce, and I ended up changing lenses and trying to find a few Butterflies, I was hoping for my first Orange Tip, but only found the likes of Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Peacock, all of which now look a bit tatty, not surprising as they are all overwinterers.

Peacock Butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell