Pittswood Birds

The weather was calm and sunny for the first full patch walk of the new month, so with new notebook and freshly sharpened pencil I set off to start my June list  :-)

I wont be setting any records this month, as I'm off on holiday next weekend, but todays tally of 54 species is a good chunk of the record June tally of 68, which was set in 2010.

Walking along Ashes lane first thing, WOODPIGEON, WREN, CHAFFINCH, GREENFINCH, COLLARED DOVE, JACKDAW, STARLING, SWALLOW, WHITETHROAT, PHEASANT, GREAT TIT, and BLUE TIT all were seen. Looking through the Greenhouse Grounds, I added LINNET, a pair were with the first 2 new fledglings of the year, the 30th species to have fledged young in 2014  :-) I also added KESTREL, seen at their nest box, and LITTLE OWL which was again on the gutting of one of the Greenhouses.  BLACKBIRD, DUNNOCK, MAGPIE, SONGTHRUSH, ROBIN, PIED WAGTAIL, and BLACKCAP were all recorded, before moving on and doing a circuit of Migrant Alley, which only added a few flyovers to the June list, they were STOCK DOVE, ROOK, CARRION CROW, SKYLARK, GOLDFINCH, and lastly, unbelievably, another RED KITE, thats 3 in two days! A CHIFFCHAFF was heard singing from the Wooded Headland, and rather bizarrely a MANDARIN DUCK was seen to fly across the sheep pasture and alight in an Oak tree in the Greenhouse Copse!

I made my way across to the Pub Field then across the Ashes Lane Field field, adding flyover HERRING GULL and SWIFT to the months list, as well as HOUSE SPARROW but that was all.

In the Wet Woods a JAY and MISTLETHRUSH were heard, as well as a GREAT SPOTTED and GREEN WOODPECKER, a TREECREEPER sang and one of the NUTHATCH families were seen.

On the lakes there was a good variety of species seen today, MUTE SWAN, COOT, MALLARD, and MOORHEN are all regulars, the CANADA GEESE and GREYLAG GEESE are semi regular and the GREY HERON less so, but the pair of TUFTED DUCK seen on the main lake are a real rarity here, although probably the same pair did visit last month  :-) As I photographed the Coot, a CUCKOO was heard close by, probably flying over, and another good bird was also heard, then seen, a SPOTTED FLYCATCHER, it was in an adjacent large garden, the second time I have seen it here, perhaps it is holding territory after all ?

A look through the Scrubby Woods only added COAL TIT and GOLDCREST to the June list, with no sign of the Turtle Dove, I went back later in the day to try and locate it, but failed, I did however hear a BULLFINCH call, so it wasn't a wasted trip.

I walked home via the Small Holding, seeing a BUZZARD soaring up above the Wet Woods as I looked back, and 2 HOUSE MARTINS, which were the final bird species for the Day  :-)

Coot with one of its young

I took the odd Damselfly and Butterfly photo today.............

 Brown Argus

Brown Argus

Female Common Blue Damselfly

Female White-legged Damselfly

Female White-legged Damselfly