Pittswood Birds

After a dry start early on, rain fell intermittently for the rest of the morning, brightening up by late afternoon.

I headed for the lakes first this morning, checking out the Ashes Lane Fields en route, where there was a mixed flock of 30-40 FIELDFARE / REDWING, mostly Fieldfare, there were also around 50 STARLINGS feeding with them, plus, as usual, the MEADOW PIPITS were also to be found there.

Approaching the lakes, I could here MISTLETHRUSH, SONGTHRUSH, COAL TIT, CHAFFINCH, TREECREEPER, WREN, DUNNOCK and ROBIN all singing from the nearby large gardens and Wet Woods despite the rainy conditions.

I had a nice surprise when I eventually arrived at the lakes, as there were 4 MUTE SWANS (67,60) on the main lake, I am used to getting the odd single bird here, maybe two on occasion, but four is unprecedented! A good bonus bird for the months list anyway, taking it to the 60 mark, plus it moves the year list on to 67. Nothing else was seen of interest on the other two smaller lakes, just a couple of MALLARDS and a few MOORHENS as usual. The adjacent Scrubby Woods didn't provide me with a Woodcock for the year list, but a watching a mixed feeding flock was of some consolation, containing BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, LONG TAILED TIT Coal Tit, NUTHATCH, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER and Chaffinch.

A look around the Greenhouse Grounds later in the walk found little of note, just a few SISKINS were in the Alder trees there, plus the KESTREL pair were seen up hunting.

A scan through the Gull flock at Migrant Alley was interrupted when a BUZZARD flew low over, but I had enough time to find COMMON GULL, HERRING GULL, LESSER BLACKED BACKED GULL and BLACK HEADED GULLS before they all swirled up and moved to a further field.

No pics from todays outing in the rainy conditions, but I have a few more of those LESSER REDPOLL images I took yesterday at my garden feeders. I also have a few images to use as ''blog brighteners'' from a trip I had to Sevenoaks Wildfowl Reserve this afternoon, I 'll post them tomorrow  :-)

Lesser Redpoll