Pittswood Birds

Dark rain clouds gathered again this morning, depositing a few showery outbreaks first thing before the skies lightened for a few hours.

It was a much more interesting visit than yesterday, my circuit of Migrant alley was brightened by the presence of yet another WHINCHAT, at least the sixth one I have recorded here this month. A BUZZARD flew over low as I watched the Whinchat, as did a two GREY WAGTAILS, they alighted in the Greenhouse Grounds where a couple of WHITETHROAT were seen and 30-40 SWALLOWS sunned themselves on the glass rooves, among them I picked out 7 SAND MARTINS and 5 HOUSE MARTINS, trouble arrived to disrupt their sun bathing though, when a HOBBY came through, putting them all to flight !

Crossing the Ashes lane Field a bit later, I watched a male KESTREL fly low over, then walking the drainage ditch there, I spied a small passerine up ahead on the barbed wire, looking through my bins I expected to find a Dunnock, but was well pleased to see yet another Whinchat! Before I had crossed the field my fourth raptor of the day came over - a SPARROWHAWK, which had it's usual Swallow escort pestering it.

A walk through the Scrubby Woods and Lake area was also a bit more productive than yesterdays visit. After bemoaning the lack of a mixed feeding flock here in yesterdays post, I found one in the Scrubby Woods, it didn't contain many birds, and was missing the usual Long tailed Tits, but at least 4 GOLDCRESTS, 2 CHIFFCHAFF, 1 BLACKCAP, 1 TREECREEPER and 4-5 each of BLUE and GREAT TIT were seen, a good beginning  :-)  The nearby lakes were not very exciting, although one of the COOT pair was seen again with the MUTE SWAN family, MOORHENS and MALLARDS.

On the way home the sun was trying to shine, making it feel warmer, so i walked along the edge of the Wet Woods in search of Dragonflies, there were a few about which included a couple of Common Darter, a Ruddy Darter and at least 7 Migrant Hawkers, which I got a few images of  ;-)

Migrant Hawker, male