Pittswood Birds

In stark contrast to yesterday morning, this morning was bright, warm and sunny.

After not finding anything of note in yesterdays drizzle, apart from a pair of flyover CORMORANTS, todays visit was much more productive. A fantastic male REDSTART was found along the edge of the Greenhouse Copse that runs up against Migrant Alley, the sunny woodland strip also had 4 CHIFFCHAFFS present and a BUZZARD flew from the Copse itself.

Out on the paddocks of Migrant Alley there were two WHEATEARS feeding, while overhead the SWALLOWS were joined by a few HOUSE MARTINS, plus at least 2 HOBBIES were observed, one being chased by the local male KESTREL.

The Ashes Lane Fields had both COMMON and LESSER WHITETHROAT present along the drainage ditch there, this could be the last date for these Summer migrants, the median average last dates for the 15 years of recording being the 11th and 14th of September respectively.

A sky watch from my seat back over at Migrant Alley proved rewarding, when four MEADOW PIPITS (66) dropped in from the North, minutes later another six did likewise, their arrival this Autumn is 3 days later than the 15 year median date. A COMMON GULL (67) also flew over, a rare September sighting of this species.