Pittswood Birds

It was slightly less grey this morning and warm again for December.

The early part of my visit was taken up with showing a student around the fields and paddocks of Migrant Alley, he is studying Yellowhammer, Skylark, House Sparrow, Starling and Linnet for his dissertation. I was able to show him a group of at least 6 YELLOWHAMMERS, a flock of 200+ STARLINGS and a couple of HOUSE SPARROWS, but no Linnet or Skylarks. Also out at Migrant Alley were around 150 BLACK HEADED GULLS.

Later in the morning I visited the lakes, where there were 3 GOOSANDER today, two being superb males. There was also a lone CANADA GOOSE (65) present, the first this month, as well as a KINGFISHER a GREY HERON and the usual MALLARDS and MOORHENS.

Female Goosander, again not the best light, very frustrating!

......and a male  :-)

I spent the rest of my time in the Wet Woods, where I watched a mixed feeding flock of LONG TAILED TITS, TREECREEPERS, NUTHATCH, GOLDCRESTS, BLUE TITS, GREAT TITS and a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. I was trying to get a few photo's, but the birds were quite high up most of the time, the only time they dropped down was when a BUZZARD floated low over the leafless canopy.

I got a ''twiggy'' shot of one of the Goldcrests

Such is the warmth of this winter, the Bluebells are 4in in leaf already!

I made my way home across the Ashes Lane Fields, and found the LITTLE OWL in its shack, plus the female KESTREL was hunting over the drainage ditch.

CARRION CROW strutting cockily around the Greenhouse Grounds  :-)