Pittswood Birds

Yet again it was a dreadfully dark and dreary day, with drizzle on and off for most of it, although on the bright side it was warm and windless!

After taking some seed over to the Greenhouse Grounds, where there were fewer finches about, most of which were CHAFFINCHES, I headed off over to the lakes, meeting up with the female  KESTREL at the Ashes Lane Fields.

On the lakes today, my daily visits at last paid off, as I found no fewer than 4 GOOSANDERS (64) on the main lake, 3 of those being males, their white plumage shone out like a torch light in the gloom! I was beginning to think I wouldn't get Goosander on the months list, but they have turned up, as they quite often do during December  :-)  I stood in the cover of the bankside vegetation and got views of them right down to 5 meters, such a shame there was no light for some photo's! Whilst I watched, I heard a KINGFISHER call, this handily alighted on a branch about 20 meters from me and gave good views  :-)  A CORMORANT also dropped in and calls from COAL TIT, NUTHATCH and BULLFINCH were heard as I stood and admired the Goosanders for a bit longer  :-) As I left, a GREY WAGTAIL flew in to feed around the out buildings by the lakes.

I made my way home, having been out only 2 hours, via the Wet Woods and Small Holding, where just a few of the regulars were encountered, GOLDCREST, TREECREEPER, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, GREEN WOODPECKER and JAY being the best of those.

The months list now moves onto 64, which is one better than last December and the same tally as December 2013, overall this December has the joint 4th highest total out the 14 recorded  :-)

No photo's are left in the 'blog folder' and the camera didn't even come out today, so i'll post up an old photo of one of the Goosander found last year  :-)