Pittswood Birds

Once again the early cloud burnt off by 09:30hrs, leaving the rest of the visit hot and humid.

I spent around 90 minutes, in the cool of the early morning, sitting on my seat over at Migrant Alley hoping that my sky watch would produce one more new species for the month and so set a new July record. It didn't materialise though, but the sky was a bit busier than the last few mornings, with GREY HERON, HERRING GULL, BLACK HEADED GULL and LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL all flying over, along with a few skeins of both CANADA and GREYLAG GEESE. Two SWIFTS were noted also, and a superb HOBBY put on a show for me, chasing the 30-40 SWALLOWS over the sheep pasture. KESTREL and SPARROWHAWK also drifted past.

I made a visit to the lakes and Scrubby Woods, again hoping for one more new species to turn up to set the July record, I could hope that a Marsh Tit or Willow Warbler might visit, or a duck species on the lake, but it didn't happen today! On the main lake there were at least 60 Greylag Geese, with 5 Canada Geese, the 4 MANDARIN DUCK were also seen, as was a Grey heron. The ornamental lake was home to just the MUTE SWAN and COOT family, with a couple of MALLARD and around a dozen MOORHEN.

In the Scrubby Woods, bird song tailed off as the heat set in, but COAL TIT, BLACKCAP and CHIFFCHAFF sang for a while, and the calls of NUTHATCH, BULLFINCH and TREECREEPER were heard. I also had a glimpse of a LESSER WHITETHROAT, a species that I thought was new for this month, I was happy to think I had set a new July record, until I later added todays sightings to my spreadsheet and saw I had already seen one earlier in the month  :-(

The only WHITETHROAT of the day was seen along the drainage ditch in the ashes lane field as I searched it for a possible migrant Sedge Warbler, not had one this year yet! With 5 visits left this month to find that new species, I feel quietly confident that I will indeed find it  :-)

The Ruddy Darters were at the now virtually dry run off pool at the Ashes Lane Field, I had hoped for a Grey Wagtail to be feeding there  :-)