Pittswood Birds

Persistent, heavy rain prevented me getting out early this morning, even later on some heavy prolonged showers kept me down to just a 90 minute patch visit.

In a short spell of drier weather around 11:00hrs, I quickly went out for a walk around the fields and paddocks of Migrant Alley, hoping something would be 'downed' by the heavy rain. On arriving, I had a scan of the nearest fence lines and bingo, a smart WHINCHAT was seen, just what I had hoped for. Walking around the paddocks a bit further, I then found a WHEATEAR, so it was well worth the risk of getting soaked, just to find these cracking patch visitors  :-)

I also noted that the two young KESTRELS were back around the area, along with the adult male, a BUZZARD was also seen as it flew into the Greenhouse Copse, plus a SPARROWHAWK unsuccessfully chased a GOLDFINCH from the flock in the Greenhouse Grounds, where a WHITETHROAT, a BLACKCAP and a CHIFFCHAFF were noted.

I had a short sky watch, keeping my eye on the approaching black clouds, but before they arrived with the next torrential, thundery downpour, I got to see a skein of 42 CANADA GEESE, a CORMORANT, a GREY HERON and a loose flock of 14 HERRING GULLS with a lone LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL among them. SWIFTS were also seen, with a party of 12, then 3 birds, all going South West.

If the weather dries up I may get an evening walk back out on migrant Alley, maybe something else will have dropped in.

Nothing for the camera today in the poor conditions and all I have left in the ''blog folder' are these Southern Hawker images I took over the weekend.

Southern Hawker. Male