Pittswood Birds

Leaving the house this morning it looked like another cold and cloudy day ahead, but around 08:00hrs the cloud cleared, and at last some warm sunny spells could be enjoyed  :-)

I made a 6 hour full patch walk, in which a huge tally (for March) of 53 species was recorded, a very varied mix it was too, the only resident species that went unrecorded were Sparrowhawk, Treecreeper and Coal Tit.

The undoubted highlight of the visit was watching the first RED KITE (73, 64) of the year drift North over the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley around 10:30hrs, putting up the 100 plus BLACK HEADED GULLS, 4 COMMON GULLS, 150+ STARLINGS, 50+ FIELDFARE, a few REDWING, the 100+ corvid flock and 100+ WOODPIGEON, this in itself was quite a spectacle  :-)

Whilst walking the fields during the early part of my walk, a few good flyovers were seen, with GREY HERON, YELLOWHAMMER, SKYLARK, and LINNET, as well as a continuous stream of MEADOW PIPITS going over in ones and two's, there was also a calling LAPWING, a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL and 4 HERRING GULLS noted. A REED BUNTING also flew by, alighting in the hedgerow along Ashes lane, but it didn't stay more than a minute.

The LITTLE OWL was seen in the Greenhouse Copse, and the KESTREL pair at the Greenhouse Grounds.

In the wooded parts of my patch GOLDCREST, NUTHATCH, LONG TAILED TIT, STOCK DOVE, JAY, GREAT SPOTTED and GREEN WOODPECKERS, BULLFINCH, CHAFFINCH, GOLDFINCH, GREENFINCH, CHIFFCHAFF, MISTLETHRUSH, plus all the more common regulars were found, also seen were a couple of COMMON BUZZARDS that flew from the Wet Woods.

Green Woodpecker.

With some decent light today I was able to get a few images, even if a bit distant !

MistleThrush

On the lakes it was very much 'as you were' with single pairs of GREYLAG GOOSE, MUTE SWAN,  and COOT, plus 4 MALLARD, a few MOORHENS and 8 CANADA GEESE.

Greylag Goose

I made another visit in the afternoon, but by then then it was all bonfires and Lawn mowers, I did however find my first Red Admiral Butterfly of the year, i'll put a photo of that up tomorrow, as I doubt well get two sunny days in a row!

Late Edit:  Just had two TREECREEPERS in my garden, those and the COAL TIT, also seen in my garden, take the days species tally to 55, a massive total !