Pittswood Birds

A partly cloudy morning, but warm in the light breeze.

I carried out the 10th and final full patch visit of August this morning, finding a good total of bird species, with 49 seen or heard in all. Highlight of the visit was watching my first SEDGE WARBLER (98,66) since 2014 feeding in the last nettle bed that remains at the Greenhouse Grounds. A close second in the highlight ratings was finding 2 WHINCHATS at Migrant Alley, where a YELLOW WAGTAIL was also seen and heard as it flew over.

A decent selection of other Summer bird species were found, with CHIFFCHAFF, BLACKCAP, COMMON WHITETHROAT, LESSER WHITETHROAT, HOUSE MARTIN, SWALLOW and a HOBBY, which almost took my head off as it pursued the Swallows over the ashes Lane fields! SPARROWHAWK, 2 KESTRELS and 2 BUZZARDS made it another 4 Raptor species day.

Flyovers from GREY HERON, HERRING GULL and and a pair of CORMORANTS, plus a LITTLE OWL that called from the Small holding area all helped the day list along, which could well of got to over 50 if the Geese species had flown over as they have done on recent visits, plus the Long Tailed Tit and Songthrush had shown up!

So the month ended on 66 species, a very, very disappointing tally indeed, in 9th position out of 15 it is the worst August total since 2007, which was the last time an August tally didn't reach 70 species. The mean average tally for the previous 5 Augusts is 74, while the 15 year combined August total is at 102 species, that was incremented by one this August with the Ring Necked parakeet,........ but I never did find a Mistlethrush for this month, the first time it has not appeared on a monthly total in the 15 years of recording here.

Nothing for the camera today, despite waiting for ages for the Sedge warbler to show properly, as for the Whinchats, they were no way approachable!