Pittswood Birds

This morning was mostly cloudy, with just a few sunny spells, but it remained dry and relatively windless.

A shorter visit than of late was had today and I didn't get to visit all parts of my patch, but I still reached a decent species total for the visit of 44. Among those were a couple of new species for the month, first was a LESSER WHITETHROAT (67) that turned up in the Greenhouse Copse, the first recorded since May! ( Another or the same bird was seen later this afternoon in my garden Elder Tree, feeding with a BLACKCAP ) The second addition to the months list was MISTLETHRUSH (68), two birds flew over the Pub Field.

Migrant Alley had a YELLOW WAGTAIL feeding on one of the paddocks there, and a CHIFFCHAFF sang from the Wooded Headland to the north of the paddocks. The Greenhouse Grounds had a 'charm' of GOLDFINCHES feeding on thistle heads, at least 40 birds were seen, a bit further round the grounds a flock of 15 GREENFINCH were seen, with them were a couple of LINNETS, not seen one for 4 days!

A female SPARROWHAWK, the only raptor species seen today, was seen flying over as I passed through the Ashes Lane Fields on the way to the lakes, where I once again saw the female MANDARIN DUCK, plus the KINGFISHER, but nothing else of note was on the water.

In the Scrubby Woods it was much the same as previous visits, except that I heard a COAL TIT singing today.

I noted the first Brown Argus Butterfly of the year today at the Greenhouse Grounds, a testament to the habitat that has been lost here  :-(

One of the immature Goldfinches on the thistles

Adult Goldfinch