Pittswood Birds

There was a short spell of brighter weather first thing this morning, but it lasted until only 08:00hrs, when cloud rolled in and showers fell.

First thing this morning, I walked a circuit of Migrant Alley, finding plenty out on the sheep pasture and paddocks, which for once were undisturbed. The BLACK HEADED GULL flock steadily built up to around 150 birds, with them were 4 LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS, overhead I watched 4 LAPWING slowly flap their way NW.  On a separate field, a large flock of birds consisted of at least 200 STARLING, 100 FIELDFARE and around a dozen REDWING, then on another field the flocks of 100+ ROOKS and 100+ WOODPIGEONS were seen. Flyovers from 2 GREYLAG GEESE, SKYLARK, MEADOW PIPIT and YELLOWHAMMER were also noted. A CHIFFCHAFF was heard singing from the Wooded Headland to the north of the fields.

The nearby Greenhouse Copse had just the one LITTLE OWL today, similarly the Greenhouse Grounds had just the one KESTREL, that being the female. As I was leaving a SPARROWHAWK whizzed over my head carrying its prey.

I next walked over to the lakes, initially all was as expected, with 8 CANADA GEESE, 2 GREYLAG GEESE, the White Goose, the MUTE SWAN and COOT pairs, plus a scattering of MALLARD and MOORHEN, but more careful scanning of the overhanging branches of the main lake provided me with intermittent views of the first TEAL (72, 63) of the year. This species used to be a scarce, but regular visitor here, mainly being found in the Wet Woods, but nowadays due to the doggy disturbance there, it is recorded just once or twice a year, mostly on the main lake.

Another Chiffchaff was seen in the Scrubby Woods, as was a NUTHATCH, plus singing was heard from GOLDCREST and COAL TIT.

The year list creeps along then, as does the March list, but this is still only the joint 8th best tally for March out of 14, the omission of Siskin and Lesser Redpoll, which are normally regular March species is depressing the months tally somewhat.

Ive run out of photo's again! Desperate for some decent light  :-(