Pittswood Birds

Only a brief patch visit was possible this morning as I had family commitments from mid morning, however it proved to be a fortuitous one, for as I crossed the frosty Ashes Lane Fields I spied a lone GREYLAG GOOSE (61) fly over, this species brings the satisfying stat of having achieved an average of 70 species for each month of 2014, this has only been bettered by the monthly average of 2010, which was 70.25  :-) This months species tally moves on to 61, which is joint with the tally achieved in December 2011, and is the 7th best of 13.

I had a quick look over the lakes, but just the usual was seen, that being the immature MUTE SWAN, the COOT pair, a dozen or so MALLARDS and half a dozen MOORHENS. I walked the Scrubby Woods for the outside chance of finding a Woodcock, but no luck, it was in fact very quiet there, just a few GOLDCREST, a BULLFINCH pair, plus the GREEN and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS were of note, as I left I saw a pair of MISTLETHRUSH feeding on a shrub well stocked with berries that was in an adjacent large garden.

I walked home via the Small Holding, not finding too much too write about, but a SPARROWHAWK was seen, plus flyovers from GREY WAGTAIL and YELLOWHAMMER, as I approached home a skein of 8 CANADA GEESE flew over high, just the second record this month, where are all the geese I wonder?

Last two images in my 'blog folder' are of this fine DUNNOCK, taken on Christmas eve  :-)

Dunnock, many have already started to sing here  :-)