Pittswood Birds

I completed a 4 and a half hour full patch walk this morning, under a mostly cloudy sky with just a few brighter intervals.

A good species total was achieved, with 47 being found, two of those being new for the month, but some nice species for my patch were also seen. 8 CANADA GEESE flew over early in the walk, as did just one GREYLAG GOOSE and all four tit species that can be seen on my patch were found in the Small Holding, BLUE, GREAT, LONG TAILED and COAL TIT. The Wet Woods and Scrubby Woods provided the normal haul of species, apart from Treecreeper, with CHAFFINCH, GOLDFINCH, BULLFINCH, GOLDCREST, NUTHATCH, SONGTHRUSH, JAY, STOCK DOVE, GREAT SPOTTED and GREEN WOODPECKERS being found, plus numerous WRENS, ROBINS, DUNNOCKS and BLACKBIRDS.

Scanning the lakes was a very dull affair, just MUTE SWAN, MALLARD and MOORHENS  were on the water, the Coot hasn't been seen for 3 days now, so I presume it has left for the winter.

Walking the Ashes Lane Field, then the Pub Field, a few species that are sometimes hard to find in October like LINNET and PHEASANT were seen, plus a few PIED WAGTAILS, MEADOW PIPITS, and SKYLARKS were seen flying over.

A walk round Migrant Alley was only notable for a flyover CORMORANT, other than that it was all ROOKS, JACKDAWS, CARRION CROWS, WOODPIGEONS, more Meadow Pipits and a small flock of 20-25 Starlings. A look in the adjacent Greenhouse Copse for the LITTLE OWL was successful again.

An hour was spent on my Sky watching seat, where things livened up a bit when a SNIPE (64) flew over, circled round twice and dropped into the middle of the sheep pasture, a few moments later 5 SWALLOWS flew past. A BUZZARD was seen soaring and the local KESTREL pair were hunting over the Greenhouse Grounds. Small numbers of HERRING GULL and BLACK HEADED GULL flew over. I watched a passerine drop down into the Greenhouse Grounds, so I went to investigate, it turned out to be a REED BUNTING, a scarce bird here, especially on the ground. I took a few distant photo's, then as I was shaking my head at the poor results, I looked up to see a WHEATEAR (65) sitting up on the old raspberry canes, providing me with another photo opportunity, until a CHIFFCHAFF chased it off  :-)

Female Reed Bunting

Wheatear

One for Mr Heath LoL....record of the Snipe  :-)

Back at home whilst eating brunch, I noted 20 species at my garden feeders in just over an hour, these included a COAL TIT, a CHIFFCHAFF, a GOLDCREST and best of all my first BLACKCAP (66) of the month   :-)