Pittswood Birds

Another dreary, gloomy day, but at least it was dry and windless  :-)

I spent 3 hours out on my patch this morning, finding a few bits of interest, but nothing to add to the October or years species lists.

There was a flock of 9 LONG TAILED TITS in the Greenhouse Grounds, one or two BLUE and GREAT TITS were with them, plus a GOLDCREST tagged along. The SISKIN / GOLDFINCH flock were also there, feeding in their favoured Alder Trees, at least 5 LESSER REDPOLL joined them again and the KESTREL watched on from it usual greenhouse perch.

Small skeins of GREYLAG and CANADA GEESE flew over Migrant Alley, as I walked a circuit of the pasture and paddocks, as did the occasional REDWING and FIELDFARE, plus a few single SKYLARKS and a lone YELLOWHAMMER. The BUZZARD was seen on the same fence line as yesterday.

Just 2 MEADOW PIPITS were in the pasture at the Ashes Lane Fields, only 6 MALLARDS and 4 MOORHEN were on the lakes, but a GREY WAGTAIL was nearby on the out buildings, always a good bird to find here. The adjacent Scrubby Woods had a few more Siskin flying about, but more of interest was the lone CHIFFCHAFF that was having an altercation with a WREN. At least 6 BULLFINCH were also a good sighting, but only 1 NUTHATCH, 1 TREECREEPER and 1 COAL TIT were found here today.

I retraced my steps across the Ashes Lane Fields, where I watched a GREY HERON flap slowly over, then shortly after another or the same Buzzard as seen earlier flew into the Wet Woods, alighting right at the very top of the tallest tree, attracting all the JACKDAWS and CARRION CROWS as it did so!

This afternoon I set to making myself a small water feature in my garden, using an old polystyrene box, covered in a plastic refuse sack. It's small, but should give me a chance to get some photo's of the garden regulars as they bath and drink. This depends of course on the SPARROWHAWK making itself scarce, it flew through twice whilst I was working on the bird bath. I just need a bit of sunlight now !

My new photo prop  :-) I still need to add a bit more moss to hide the liner, but already I have had Wren, Blue Tit and Great Tit investigating it.

I took these Great Tit photo's 3 days ago, could do with a bit of more this light.

Hopefully one of these will come in to use the bird bath  :-)