Pittswood Birds

This morning was dull, dreary and drizzly, but at least there was little wind and much milder temperatures.

The dank weather didn't prevent the further onset of spring being detected as I made my 3 hour patch visit this morning, the woodland floor in both the Scrubby Woods and Wet Woods is starting to green up nicely now, with song from MISTLETHRUSH, SONGTHRUSH, TREECREEPER, COAL TIT, GOLDCREST, WREN, ROBIN and DUNNOCK all ringing through the twiggy branches of the woodland trees. Spring calls from GREAT TIT, BLUE TIT, NUTHATCH, STOCK DOVE, plus the drumming of GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER and the trilling of a flock of 10-12 LONG TAILED TITS made for a very pleasant soundtrack.

The LITTLE OWL was seen in the old shack at the Ashes Lane Fields for just the second time this month, as I stopped to get a view of it in my bins, I saw my first GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL (64) for the year / months list fly over, a good species to find on my patch.......... well, over it!

A SPARROWHAWK flew low around the banks of the now almost ice free lakes, where I was pleased to see not only the return of a KINGFISHER, but also 3 GOOSANDER on the smallest lake, 2 being superb males, but there was no sign of the Coot today, I reckon i'd swap a Goosander for a Tufted Duck at the moment  :-)

The female KESTREL was back at the Greenhouse Grounds, where just a few SISKIN and a single LESSER REDPOLL were in the Alders, along with a dozen GOLDFINCHES, nearby the GREY WAGTAIL was back to feeding on the churned muddy area, then further on towards the Greenhouse Copse 2 YELLOWHAMMERS were seen.

I had a bit of a sky watch from my seat at Migrant Alley, but apart from a LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL, a few BLACK HEADED GULLS, two HERRING GULLS and a GREY HERON, nothing majorly exciting was seen.

No photo's today in the poor weather and the 'blog folder' has run dry  :-(