Pittswood Birds

This morning the weather was unchanged from recent days, with pleasant warm sunshine in a chilly NE wind.

Being the last day of the month I was spurred on to try and find just one more bird species for the September list, but alas, despite 5 hours out in the field the hoped for species did not turn up. I found 47 other species though, with just 3 of those being summer birds, they were ; 2 CHIFFCHAFFS, one at the Greenhouse Grounds and one at the Scrubby Woods, a BLACKCAP that was also at the Greenhouse Grounds and a a trickle of SWALLOWS that flew over from time to time, involving no more than 10-15 birds.

SISKINS were again in the Alders at the Greenhouse Grounds, along with a flock of 15-20 GOLDFINCH, plus the GREY WAGTAIL was again at the water intake area. Out on Migrant Alley there was a flock of 50-60 STARLINGS with the mixed Corvids feeding on the sheep pasture, while the paddocks had a mixed flock of LINNET and GOLDFINCH involving about 35 birds, sometimes an interloping MEADOW PIPIT would join them, but they were fewer today. The massed skeins of GREYLAG and CANADA GEESE again flew over southwards, plus GREY HERON, HERRING GULL, BLACK HEADED GULL, BUZZARD and a few SKYLARKS were all noted flying over early on.

Meadow Pipit posing on a gate, looking out for that Sprawk!

A LESSER REDPOLL called as it flew over the Ashes Lane Field, where the female KESTREL was also hunting, a party of a dozen LONG TAILED TITS moved through the Wet Woods, while over at the lakes just a party of 18 Canada Geese had dropped in, nothing else was of note there today.

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, GREEN WOODPECKER, NUTHATCH, COAL TIT, BULLFINCH, GOLDCREST, SONGTHRUSH, STOCK DOVE, a surprise flyover YELLOWHAMMER, plus the common regulars were all seen at the Scrubby Woods, the only omissions that could have been expected, were the Treecreeper and Mistlethrush.

BLUE TIT, feeding on the Blackberries

With no additions to the September list, it remained on 75 species, the third best September tally of the 14 so far recorded and just 3 short of the record September tally. The Tree Pipits seen on the 7th were probably the months highlight for me, a real rarity here and the first seen in any September, taking the 14 year combined September list to 99, but they were close run by the Redstart sightings on the 2nd, 3rd and 8th of the month. The Yellow Wagtails, Sand Martins, Whinchats and Wheatears are always a real pleasure to find, they turn up most Autumns, the two Stonechat records were great additions too, plus the Spotted Flycatcher was a nice late record, my latest in fact. Not forgetting the 4 Teal that dropped in at the lakes on the 23rd, making for a very exciting month overall. The year list has pushed on to 101, but still 8 behind the average tally for the previous 5 years, so a bit of work still to be done over the winter months!