Pittswood Birds

It was clear and sunny first thing this morning, with a cool wind, which felt even cooler as the cloud rolled in later in the day.

Another five hour patch visit produced a good tally of species, 47 in all, but I still await the Common Whitethroat, today is the 12 year median average first sighting date for this species. Of the 13 Summer visitors that have been recorded every year here, 6 are yet to arrive, those being Common Whitethroat, Swift, Garden Warbler, Turtle Dove, Spotted Flycatcher and Hobby.

I did however record a new species for the April list this morning, when a LAPWING (68) flew over Migrant Alley first thing, then surprisingly I saw another four go over later in the visit. Another highlight for the morning was finding a WILLOW WARBLER singing in the Wet Woods, always a welcome, but scarce sound here.

There was a bit of a change on the lakes today, 8 CANADA GEESE had arrived, with 4 GREYLAGS and a feral 'white Goose'  The MUTE SWANS were still incubating, as was the Greylag Goose, the MISTLETHRUSH nest was checked earlier, where I found both parents chasing off a MAGPIE, not a good sign, but the hen bird returned to the nest shortly after.

''White Goose''

It was paired up with one of the Canada Geese

Canada Goose

Male Mute Swan on patrol

Very Little song was heard in the Scrubby Woods this morning, what was heard was mostly BLACKCAP, BLACKBIRD and CHIFFCHAFF, no doubt due to the cool wind blowing.

Blackcap

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My sky watch from my seat at Migrant Alley later in the morning was a chilly one, with the cold wind blowing across the sheep pasture, but I got to see the pair of local BUZZARDS, as well as the male KESTREL, and two SPARROWHAWKS, a few HERRING GULLS and a couple of LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS flew over, SWALLOWS zipped over the paddocks and sheep pasture, and the SKYLARKS were seen over the Ashes lane Field, but apart from the already mentioned 4 lapwing that was about it for today.