Pittswood Birds

Rain fell early this morning, so there was a late start to my patch visit, never a good thing, as early is best!

I headed for the lakes first off, always hopeful of a visiting duck species, but I was out of luck today, just the MUTE SWAN family, a few MOORHENS and three MALLARDS were my reward for getting soaked from the water falling from the trees!

The adjacent Scrubby Woods and bankside vegetation had lots of the common species of BLUE TITS, GREAT TITS, WRENS, DUNNOCKS, ROBINS, CHAFFINCH, GOLDFINCH and BLACKBIRDS, as well as a few of the more scarcer woodland species like BULLFINCH, GOLDCREST, TREECREEPER, JAY, SONGTHRUSH, MISTLETHRUSH, GREAT SPOTTED and GREEN WOODPECKERS, all very normal.

I saw the LITTLE OWL at its roost in the old shack at the Ashes Lane Field, where a few MEADOW PIPITS flew to and from the sheep pasture there. A walk around Migrant Alley was pretty quiet, although a second Little Owl was seen in the nearby Greenhouse Copse. I don't expect to find any 'chats' on the fencelines now, but you never know, its always worth looking  :-)

My sky watch was undertaken in some bright and sometimes sunny conditions, but was cut short by a heavy thundery downpour, not a great deal was seen, a CORMORANT flew over, as did a flock of 15 BLACK HEADED GULLS and many single HERRING GULLS, plus 3 JAYS flew over quite high, looking like probable migrants, a REED BUNTING was heard, then picked out as it flew over. A SPARROWHAWK chased the Meadow Pipits out on the sheep pasture, but they easily out flew it, mocking it at times. The KESTREL pair were both perched up on the greenhouses and in the grounds a flock of 40+ GOLDFINCHES was a good sight, a CHIFFCHAFF was also seen, the only summer species noted today. Three groups of SKYLARKS few over, two of those contained 5 birds, the other nine.

I spent the afternoon trying to get some garden bird photo's to brighten the blog, but in varying light results were just as varied! I saw another 2 Chiffchaffs as I sat in my hide (garden Shed!)

GOLDFINCH

GREENFINCH

I planted some teasels in my garden, they always attract the Goldfinches, when the light is right I should get some better images of them  :-)

STARLING