Pittswood Birds

After day long dense fog yesterday, in which a short patch walked predictably turned out hopeless for finding the birds, today was much kinder, with mild conditions, little wind and even some brightness for a while.

I headed off for the lakes first thing, noting a SPARROWHAWK flying low over the Small holding as I passed through, which put up small numbers of FIELDFARE.

The lakes had now thawed out, but as usual just MALLARDS and MOORHENS were present, I wonder if the Goosander will make their almost annual visit this year ? The overwintering CHIFFCHAFF was again seen around the edge of the main lake, where a party of 4 BULLFINCH were also seen.

A walk through the adjacent Scrubby Woods was good for TREECREEPER, COAL TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, NUTHATCH, GOLDCREST and the more common regular species, but a Woodcock still eludes me for the years list.

I headed off over to the Greenhouse Grounds, just SKYLARK was of any note as I crossed the Ashes Lane Fields, but at the Greenhouse grounds a bit of interest was had - even excitement, when despite the work crew being present, 8 MEADOW PIPITS were seen, plus a BUZZARD that was sitting on the greenhouse roof, usurping the female Kestrel, which was nowhere to be seen today, the excitement came however, when the Buzzard took off, alighting in a nearby hedge, in doing so putting up 3 SNIPE (48) a good species for the December list, indeed a good species any month on my patch!

I got a very distant shot of the Buzzard  :-)