Pittswood Birds

There was a moderate frost this morning, but with little wind and good sunny spells, it felt quite springlike.

An early visit to Migrant Alley didn't produce the hoped for Lapwing for this months list, a species that can turn up here when the weather is harder, instead, I had to content myself with going through the BLACK HEADED GULL flock, of which there were over 250 of, but I didn't locate a Mediterranean Gull among them, just 2 COMMON GULLS. There were a scattering of 100ish FIELDFARE on the pasture and paddocks as well, plus the usual ROOKS, JACKDAWS, CARRION CROWS and WOODPIGEONS.

The KESTREL pair were together at the Greenhouse Grounds, but not much else of note there today, just a BULLFINCH pair, whilst I was there though, I found this ROBIN posed nicely on a frosty twig.

Robin

I made a visit to the lakes, via the Ashes Lane Fields, where more Fieldfare were noted, another 100+ birds, with them were a few REDWING and 2 MISTLETHRUSH, but they were all put up by a SPARROWHAWK that flashed through. Another photographic opportunity arose when I got close to this DUNNOCK on a fence post.

It was singing away in the sunshine, not minding me a bit!

As you can see, I filled my boots with some nice images, a bit later in the walk, I got even more Dunnock images when one was found singing in the Scrubby Woods, i'll show them on a later post

There were no surprises on the lakes when I arrived, the MUTE SWAN pair and the lone COOT remain, plus just one pair of CANADA GEESE and the usual MALLARDS and MOORHENS.

The female Mallards are being harassed none stop now it's spring :-)

The males are looking splendid in their summer plumage

I had a look around the Scrubby Woods for a Woodcock, but none were forthcoming, but most of the regulars were found, GOLDCRESTS, TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, COAL TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, another pair of Bullfinch, STOCK DOVE, JAY, GREAT SPOTTED and GREEN WOODPECKERS being the pick of those, plus I also saw a pair of GREY HERONS fly low over, giving their raucous squawking call as they went!

On the walk back home a BUZZARD made up the regular trio of raptors, when one was seen soring over the Wet Woods.