Pittswood Birds

A brief sunrise

The sun rose over a low bank of cloud first thing this morning, promising a better day, but less than an hour later the cloud streamed in from the SW, and 90 minutes later it was raining again  :-(

Even before the rain came it was a real struggle to find much of note, A SPARROWHAWK that flew over the Scrubby Woods was the first seen out on my patch this year, before it flew over I had seen a few GOLDCRESTS, a NUTHATCH, a COAL TIT and a flock of 6 LONG TAILED TITS.

Only the MUTE SWAN, MALLARDS, COOT pair and 4 MOORHEN were on the ornamental lake, the other two lakes were totally devoid of birds.

As the rain started, I walked through the Wet Woods for some limited shelter, seeing the GREY WAGTAIL at the stagnant pools of water, plus GREEN and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS chasing about the place. I soon moved on, passing through the Small Holding, where a flock of 8 CHAFFINCH were seen feeding below one of the pear trees, it's not often I see any size flock of Chaffinch on my patch, that is, away from my garden feeders.

I had a quick look over the fields and paddocks at Migrant Alley, but didn't walk a circuit, I didn't fancy it in the rain! I could see there was a flock of 50-60 BLACK HEADED GULLS out there, plus 100+ STARLINGS and the mixed corvid flock of over a 100 birds. I scanned the Greenhouse copse from a distance, but still managed to pick out the LITTLE OWL in its roost tree.

As I walked home through the Greenhouse Grounds I saw both the KESTRELS sitting on the greenhouses, plus another, or the same Grey Wagtail was at the water intake area.

This afternoon, there was a very short ''brighter spell'' so I attempted some photography at my garden feeders, the light wasn't really good enough, and nothing too exciting came in, but the regular BLUE TITS, GREAT TITS, COAL TIT, STARLINGS, CHAFFINCH, GREENFINCH and GOLDFINCH, were all busy, there was a lone LONG TAILED TIT turned up at one point, the 22nd species for the garden this year, plus a HOUSE SPARROW was seen as well.

Great Tit having a scratch, that's not blue sky in the background, its a blue sheet I hung out to cover to windows of my house, it makes for a better backdrop  :-)

Starling

Starling ( I changed the background, brown sheet this time)

Great Tit

BLACKBIRD ( oops! chopped it's tail off, very sloppy work!)

 Star bird, House Sparrow