Pittswood Birds

Variable cloud cover this morning gave some sunny spells, in which it felt quite warm in the light wind.

After yesterdays away day, I was back on my patch early this morning, where things took a while to get going, but eventually my four and a half hour full patch walk produced a very good tally of 51 bird species.

The highlight of the visit, without doubt, turned out to be the the 50th species of the day - a superb female BLACK REDSTART (78,59) that was found on my second visit to Migrant Alley, flitting along the fence line, occasionally moving into the Greenhouse Grounds. What a great patch bird, not had one here since spring 2014.

Not the best photo i'll ever take, the bird was totally unapproachable! No matter though, I was just pleased to get this record shot  :-)

Also at Migrant alley, during my early visit, a SPARROWHAWK was seen perched on one on the paddock fence rails, plus 14 BLACK HEADED GULLS, 6 LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS and 5 HERRING GULLS were on the sheep pasture, over which a couple of MEADOW PIPITS flew. The KESTREL pair were on the Greenhouses and the BUZZARD pair were over the Wet Woods / Scrubby Woods, where all the scarcer, sometimes hard to find species were found - LONG TAILED TIT, NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, GOLDCREST, LESSER REDPOLL, BULLFINCH, JAY, MISTLETHRUSH, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, GREEN WOODPECKER, STOCK DOVE and a couple of newly arrived BLACKCAPS singing lustily, competing with the 2 CHIFFCHAFFS, but I had to wait until I visited the Small Holding to find a COAL TIT today.

On the lakes the COOT pair and the MUTE SWAN pair remain, along with two pairs of nesting CANADA GEESE, plus a few MALLARDS and MOORHENS.

Mr. Sprawk was back at my garden feeders this afternoon, blood and feathers on his talons. He hasn't predated the female Blackcap yet though, she was seen again, feeding on dropped sunflower hearts. I also had a couple of SISKIN drop in, bringing the days list to 52 species  :-)