Pittswood Birds

The clear blue skies made for a sunny and very warm morning, which as it progressed soon became hot and rather humid under an increasingly cloudy sky.

The birding soon tailed off as the temperature soared, with the five hour visit producing a low tally of 44 species. 36 of those occurred during the first two hours whilst I was walking Migrant Alley, the Greenhouse Grounds with the associated copse, and the Ashes Lane Fields.

It was a pretty standard list, nothing new for July, but a glimpse of a possible Lesser Whitethroat at the Scrubby Woods would have been the first this month, but it didn't stay in view long enough to be identified. Whilst there, COAL TIT, BLACKCAP and CHIFFCHAFF all gave a bit of song, a TREECREEPER scurried around a large Oak, and calls from BULLFINCH, STOCK DOVE, GOLDCREST and JAY all rang out.

Flyovers today only concerned a GREY HERON, a BUZZARD, a HERRING GULL and two LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS, plus 30-40 SWIFTS feeding high up over the sheep pasture. Once again only one KESTREL was seen at the Greenhouse Grounds, an adult female, a family party of both WHITETHROAT and HOUSE SPARROW were also active around the Greenhouses.

Female House Sparrow

Female House Sparrow

Juv. House Sparrow

There were one or two Damsels and Dragons about today, mostly singles, being of Blue Tailed Damsel, White-legged Damsel, and Common Damsel, as well as scores of Red Eyed Damsels on the ornamental lake. Ruddy Darter, Common Darter, Brown Hawker and Emperor Dragonflies were also seen.

White-legged Damselfly

White-legged Damselfly

White-legged Damselfly

White-legged Damselfly

There were plenty of Small Skippers about in the Greenhouse Grounds, joined by a few Essex Skippers (above)