Pittswood Birds

Moderate rain fell for a short while this morning, clearing through by 08:30hrs to leave some short lived but hefty showers, in a blustery SW wind.

A four hour visit this morning, was spent mostly around the farmland area of my patch, where despite few birds being present, there were at least some interesting ones about, not least the WHINCHAT that had stayed for the second day on the drainage ditch fence line at the Ashes lane Field. A MISTLETHRUSH, a GREY WAGTAIL and four HOUSE MARTINS flew over the Pub Field, plus once again the sound of SISKIN calls were frequently heard. There was little sign of summer birds at Migrant Alley, the Greenhouse grounds and the associated copse, just 2 CHIFFCHAFFS and a few SWALLOWS were found. However, overhead, a skein of 7  CANADA GEESE had my first GREYLAG GOOSE (64) of the month with them, a group of 3 BUZZARDS were also watched, at one point being joined by a SPARROWHAWK, the raptor count went to four a little later, when the PEREGRINE was again seen and the KESTREL turned up again at the Greenhouse Grounds.

A quick visit to the lakes proved worthwhile, as the MALLARDS and MOORHENS had been joined by 2 GREY HERONS and a MUTE SWAN (65), the first sighting of one since April, it didn't stay long however.

This afternoon I had a walk over to the Ashes Lane Fields, now the sun was out I fancied trying to get a better photo of the Whinchat, but it again proved to clever for me, keeping a steady 25 meters between itself and me, but I got some compensation when my first MEADOW PIPIT (66) of the month flew up from the pasture, giving its ''seep seep seep'' call, a real Autumn sound! I wandered over to the edge of the nearby Wet Woods, where I was amazed to see at least 15 Migrant Hawkers, 2 Southern Hawkers and at least 20 Common Darters, they were all gathered in a sunny area away from the wind, but I was amazed even more when my 5th raptor of the day whizzed through and took a Hawker.......that was the HOBBY of course! Fantastic!

The September list moves on to 66, but I would be disappointed if 70+ species wasn't reached by the months end, as the previous 8 Septembers have all recorded 70 or more species.

Whinchat

Whinchat