Pittswood Birds

After a week away in Wales, I returned to my Pittswood Patch yesterday and this morning got out for a full patch walk in the usual rainy weather, which did at least clear before the 4 hour visits end.

I recorded a rather low tally of bird species, just 43 in all, with the likes of Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Long Tailed Tit and Sparrowhawk not turning out for me this morning. I did however find three more species for the ''Successfully bred'' patch list, the first being a well grown  immature MISTLETHRUSH, it was feeding with it's parents on a large lawn just off the Wet Woods, the second species was the WHITETHROAT, a newly fledged bird was seen at the Greenhouse Grounds with it's scolding parents. The third species was also at the Greenhouse Grounds, where I had the pleasure of seeing the first KESTREL fledgling sitting on the nesting box, I was told by one of the workers that 2 more had also fledged and had been seen around the yard, I need to confirm how many young there are though. This years successfully bred patch list now moves on to 32, which is 7 behind last years final tally.

In an eventful visit, I also added another species to the year / months list, when a RING NECKED PARAKEET (93,62) was heard, then seen as it flew along a row of gardens adjacent to the Small Holding. This years June list now moves up to joint eleventh place out of 15, not very good!

SWIFT, SWALLOW, BLACKCAP, CHIFFCHAFF, plus a fleeting glimpse of a LESSER WHITETHROAT which was along Ashes lane, just outside the Greenhouse Grounds, were the other summer species seen today. BUZZARD was the only other raptor and the only fly throughs were that of a dozen HERRING GULLS.

No images were possible in the dull conditions, but i've got a few images from Wales to brighten the blog up for the next few days!

On one of the few sunnier days I was able to photograph this Keeled Skimmer, the only Odonata species I was able to get on camera during this years trip.

It was found at the Gilfach Nature Reserve at Rhyader

At the same reserve we found at least a dozen Dark Green Fritillary

Also, the Small Pearl Bordered fritillary (above) was around in Good numbers