Pittswood Birds

A cool, cloudy and windy patch walk this morning proved very uninspiring, I spent most of my time in the Wet Woods, Scrubby Woods and lake area, seeking shelter from the wind!

I saw the KINGFISHER flash past as I tried to get some photo's of the Mute Swans and their Cygnet, but they remain frustratingly distant!

Mute San and Cygnet

The COOTS are managing to keep their two young safe on the same lake, but little else was o the water today, just a few MALLARD, MOORHEN and a GREY HERON that dropped in.

In the Scrubby Woods I hunted for newly fledged birds, of which I found a MAGPIE for the 2014 'Successfully Bred' list, I heard much calling from both BULLFINCH and GOLDCREST but couldn't see any young, the wind was making this difficult, the Oak trees were being blown around so much.

In the Wet Woods I checked up on the GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER nest site, where I found the young virtually ready to fledge, i'll not put them on the list until they are out of their nest though. The MANDARIN family were seen again, as was another new Mallard family.

Ready to fledge! Rubbish shots in the poor light!

I was getting a shutter speed of a 30th, despite the ISo being on 1000!

Little else to report today, the KESTRELS were seen over at the Greenhouse Grounds and a SPARROWHAWK dashed through Migrant Alley, two HERRING GULLS were the only noteworthy fly overs during a 45 minute sky watch, but lots of SWIFTS were seen feeding over the sheep pasture. Not one Damselfly, Dragonfly or Butterfly was seen in the cool conditions!