Pittswood Birds

This morning was grey and overcast, with virtually no wind, it was milder than of late too.

I undertook a 4 and a half hour full patch walk this morning, finding 44 bird species, which is one or two more than the average for a January full patch walk, only Mistlethrush and Pheasant were not found that could have been expected today. On the other hand the 3 GOOSANDER, 2 CANADA GEESE and the GREY HERON that were on the main lake were not entirely expected  :-)

The three regular raptors all turned out this morning, a BUZZARD flew from the Wet Woods, the female KESTREL was seen after her two day absence, she was in a large garden off the Ashes Lane Fields plus a pair of SPARROWHAWKS were seen multiple times as they hunted over my patch.

There were a dozen MEADOW PIPITS on the pasture at Bustard Hill, maybe they were the ones from the Ashes Lane Fields, although there were still 4 on those fields as I walked through, plus a dozen FIELDFARE and 4 REDWING were also feeding there.

Noteworthy flyover species were few today, but included LESSER REDPOLL, SISKIN, and PIED WAGTAIL, while the Wooded areas of my patch supplied the likes of LONG TAILED TIT, COAL TIT, BULLFINCH, NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, GOLDCREST, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, GREEN WOODPECKER, JAY and STOCK DOVE, as well as the regular common stuff.

Fewer BLACK HEADED GULLS and HERRING GULLS were feeding on the sheep pasture at Migrant Alley today, but the ROOKS had turned out in force with at least 75 being seen, they will be pairing up ready to nest soon now  :-)

Back to my garden for todays blog brighteners, these were taken a few days back, just a few Tit species  :-)

This Coal Tit posed nicely, but briefly, allowing a few shots

The BLUE TITS use the same perch  :-)

Just lost the light for this GREAT TIT, but it's not too bad an image  :-)