Pittswood Birds

This morning was mainly cloudy, with just a few sunny intervals and light winds.

An early walk around Migrant Alley, plus a look at the Greenhouse Grounds and Greenhouse Copse didn't reveal anything exciting. A couple of GREYLAG GEESE and a CANADA GOOSE were out on the sheep pasture, along with lots of ROOKS and WOODPIGEONS, while the paddocks attracted half a dozen linnets. BLACKCAP and CHIFFCHAFF were heard singing in the Greenhouse Copse, the only birds of note at the Greenhouse Grounds were a WHITETHROAT and a SONGTHRUSH, which was booming out it's song.

A short sky watch before heading off over to the woods provided views of the regular 3 raptor species, SPARROWHAWK, BUZZARD and KESTREL, plus there were quite a few SWIFTS about with the local SWALLOWS and a few HOUSE MARTINS flew through too. A single HERRING GULL and a single LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL were also seen, but a Black Headed Gull would have been better, not had one yet this month.

I headed off over to the Wet Woods, where I could here the young of a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER calling from their nest hole, wont be long before they come out, hopefully to my garden feeders! I moved on to the Scrubby Woods and lakes, but just before arriving, I heard the call of my first SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (93,66) of the year, on the latest arrival date so far recorded. I soon tracked the call to a large Oak in an adjacent garden, I watched it for some moment before loosing it in the foliage, but whilst looking for it I saw GOLDCREST, NUTHATCH, COAL TIT and LONG TAILED TIT all foraging in the canopy.

A quick scan of the lakes was had, where I saw a GREY HERON and a drake MANDARIN DUCK of note. I then settled in to look for Odonata in the Scrubby Woods, but the weather wasn't really playing ball, I did however photograph a Common Blue Damselfly, a White-legged Damselfly and a Beautiful Demoiselle, I cant walk past the latter without taking a photo!

The TREECREEPER family were again seen, they had split up and were feeding around a Hawthorne Tree. Whilst on the subject of Treecreepers, I was saddened to see a very recently fledged one, dead and squashed in the road outside my house when I got home from my walk. I had been seeing a pair around my garden on and off over the early spring months, so I presume they must of bred in one of the ivy covered trees adjacent to my house, I couldn't locate any other fledglings around though.

My first Common Blue Damselfly image of the year  :-)

Here's the second!

I also took a few more White-legged Damselfly images, although the light was going by then. The males are just turning that pastel blue colour.

Got to have another few images of these Beautiful Demoiselles!