Pittswood Birds

A short patch walk was possible this morning before the rain set in, but with the cold wind and dull overcast sky there was little to note, with the one exception of my first COMMON WHITETHROAT (84,68) of the year, which gave just one short burst of song before diving into cover over at the Greenhouse Grounds. Ive been expecting this species to turn up over the last few days, its arrival is just 2 days later than the median average first date for the previous 12 years. The months list creeps up to 68 species now, still only in joint 9th position out of 13 years though, and 7 species behind the mean average species total for the previous 5 Aprils.

I did a circuit of Migrant Alley, and walked the Pub Field, then did a circuit of the Ashes Lane Field, where I sat watched the sky from the shelter of hedgerow. Not an awful lot was recorded though, a few LINNETS were on the paddocks at Migrant Alley, and both CHIFFCHAFF and BLACKCAP sang from the Wooded Headland, the ROOKS, CARRION CROWS and JACKDAWS fed on the sheep pasture and a GREEN WOODPECKER clung to a fence post.

My skywatch produced a GREY HERON, a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL, 2 HERRING GULLS and a YELLOWHAMMER, plus the sighting of only the second HOUSE MARTIN record this spring, when 2 flew low past me, the only other bird of note was a BUZZARD that got up out of the Wet Woods, before dropping back down again shortly after.

Hopefully a more extensive visit will can be made tomorrow. :-)

Common Whitethroat, another archive image i'm afraid!