Pittswood Birds

The month quite literally went out like a damp squib, the weather being grey, dreary, damp and drizzley.

There wasn't too much to brighten the final patch visit of the month either, the lakes had a pair of CANADA GEESE and a lone GREYLAG GOOSE present, as well as the usual MALLARDS and MOORHENS.

As I sheltered from a heavier spell of rain in an out building by the lakes, I heard NUTHATCH, COAL TIT, BULLFINCH, MISTLETHRUSH and SONGTHRUSH singing or calling from the nearby Scrubby Woods, plus a 6 LONG TAILED TITS passed close by.

I noted a flock of 6 GOLDCREST in the Wet Woods, and as I crossed the Ashes Lane Field I heard a TREECREEPER singing, it wasn't hard to find, being in the only tree in the field!

It was good to see the female KESTREL back at the Greenhouses, even better, she was with the male bird and mating was observed, with any luck there will be another brood here this spring  :-)

Not much was going on at Migrant Alley, but 3 Gull species were on the sheep pasture, 2 LESSER BLACK BACKED, 7 HERRING, and 13 BLACK HEADED GULLS.

So the month ends with a species tally of 64, not a bad start to the year then, it's the joint 5th best January total from the 15 years of recording, joint with January 2014. No species were added to the cumulative 15 year January total which remains on 85, but the mean average for the previous 5 Januaries was reached, just!

I was back home by 10:15hrs, so at 10:30hrs I started my RSPB big garden bird survey, which proved to be more fun than my patch walk  :-)  In the allotted hour I recorded 20 species, pity House Sparrow was not on that list, here's what I recorded anyway.................

1. Greenfinch - 5
2. Goldfinch   - 7
3. Chaffinch   - 11
4. Lesser Redpoll  - 8
5. Great Tit    - 4
6. Blue Tit     - 6
7. Coal Tit     - 1
8. Dunnock   - 2
9. Blackbird  - 3
10. Songthrush - 1
11. Wren          - 1
12. Robin         - 3
13. Goldcrest   - 1
14. Collared Dove   - 2
15. Jackdaw     - 1
16. Magpie       - 1
17. Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
18. Nuthatch   - 3
19. Starling     - 4
20. Woodpigeon  - 1

The Sparrowhawk stayed away until this afternoon !

Nuthatch 3 together at the feeders was a good sighting