Pittswood Birds

After overnight rain, initial patchy cloud broke up readily, to leave a sunny day.

Despite the fair conditions there was very little of note to record on my 2 and a half hour patch visit this morning. The lakes had single pairs of MUTE SWAN, CANADA GOOSE, GREYLAG GOOSE and COOT, plus the usual MALLARDS and MOORHENS. Most of the scarcer resident woodland species were heard or seen in either the Scrubby Woods or Wet Woods, the latter habitat has now got Bluebells flowering profusely.

Bluebell

Best birds seen in the woods were ; TREECREEPER, NUTHATCH, GOLDCREST, BULLFINCH, COAL TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, JAY, STOCK DOVE, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER and GREEN WOODPECKER, plus a few SISKINS and LESSER REDPOLLS called as they moved through.

I always mention the Swans now that a pair are frequenting the ornamental lake, but I dont often feature them photographically, so to remedy that, here's a photo of one  :-)

Out on the sheep pasture and paddocks of Migrant Alley, (part of which is shown in the above image with views of the Greenhouse Grounds in the background), there were far fewer gulls about, I counted just 15 BLACK HEADED GULLS, but being a bank holiday, there was much disturbance about. I checked the fence lines and fields for a Wheatear, but no luck today, as you can see, there was very little out there except sheep ! As I walked round I heard a few MEADOW PIPITS go over, and saw at least 6 BUZZARDS up soaring. A quick look through the Greenhouse Grounds on the way back home was only notable for the female KESTREL that sat up at her nest box.