Pittswood Birds

A much cooler and cloudier day than of late, with spots of rain about.

A four hour full patch walk this morning yielded a total of 49 bird species, of the regularly seen species, only the Coal Tit was missed today.

The highlight of this mornings was at last finding a WILLOW WARBLER (83,65), one was heard singing faintly from the bankside trees around the main lake, the 15 year median average first sighting date for this species is the 9th April, but now they no longer breed here, the first sighting date slips later and later.

A REED BUNTING was also a good patch record, one was at the Greenhouse Grounds, just the second record of this species for the year. Pairs of KESTREL, BUZZARD and SPARROWHAWK were seen for the raptors, but gulls were represented by only HERRING and LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS that flew over. Other notable flyovers were had from YELLOWHAMMER, SISKIN, SKYLARK, GREYLAG GOOSE and PIED WAGTAIL.

A TREECREEPER nest was found in the Small Holding area, but the trees there are always under threat of felling or tidying, so it remains to be seen if it will succeed. MISTLETHRUSH, SONGTHRUSH, BLACKBIRD, LONG TAILED TIT, CANADA GOOSE and MUTE SWAN were all seen on nests too.

CHIFFCHAFF. one of the three summer migrant species that are holding territory on my patch now, the others being SWALLOW and BLACKCAP

Another snap -shot of the Sparrowhawk as it marauds my garden feeding station !