Pittswood Birds

A very disappointing patch visit was had this morning, when it started clear and still, but it rapidly clouded over and blustery showers developed during the visit.

It was very much back to the basic, regular bird species today, Migrant Alley was now migrant free, the Whinchats and Wheatear have moved through, just the large party of ROOKS, JACKDAWS and CARRION CROWS were left on the paddocks and sheep pasture, along with the local SWALLOWS that grow fewer each day now.

The Greenhouse Grounds provided me with just one CHIFFCHAFF and two WHITETHROAT, plus a flyover GREY WAGTAIL of note. A few LINNETS, GOLDFINCH, GREENFINCH and CHAFFINCH were also there, but they moved off once the workers arrived.

Whilst over at the lakes and Scrubby Woods the sky grey very dark and a heavy shower forced me to take shelter, once it had passed I checked the lakes, where a KINGFISHER was the best sighting, I couldn't find the Coot pair though, maybe they have moved on, they have already stayed longer than in previous years, not staying until the end of July in the past two years in which they have bred here.

The Scrubby Woods was very poor, the only summer bird seen was a single female BLACKCAP, the only scarcer woodland species heard were a TREECREEPER, a GOLDCREST and a NUTHATCH, I wonder why there are no mixed feeding flocks here this Autumn ? I have just encountered the one so far.

Once again the sky grew dark, and I decided to call it a day, seeing just a KESTREL of note as I walked home across the Ashes Lane Field.

Feeling cheated by my short patch this morning, I manged a 90 minute visit around Migrant Alley, which was still very quite out on the fields, however a skywatch did provide me with good views of a HOBBY as it hunted the Swallows. A large number of gulls took off from a field to the south of my patch, some of them crossing over my airspace, most were HERRING GULLS, but a few BLACK HEADED GULLS and at least 3 LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS were also seen. To the East of me, in the distance, many Hirundines were seen, most seem to be HOUSE MARTINS all moving SW, occasionally groups birds came nearer, and two SAND MARTINS were identified eventually, plus a lone SWIFT, only 5 of the previous 12 years have a later date recorded for Swift, the median average last date is the 24th of Aug.

Hopefully the weather will be a bit kinder for the last two patch visits of the month and maybe I can find the one more species needed to equal the record August tally, or maybe even two to set a new record  ;-)

Just a couple of images for today.................

Black Headed Gull