Pittswood Birds

Despite the dense freezing fog that never cleared all day, I undertook the 8th full patch walk of the month, this morning.

I wasn't expecting too much about, so I wasn't disappointment at the poor number of passerines birds about, I reckon the frozen vegetation and ground has forced many to warmer spots around the country, I even had difficulty finding a WREN, but one was finally found over at the Greenhouse Grounds, being watched by the female KESTREL as well as me!

The undoubted highlight of the visit was seeing a WOODCOCK (59) fly from the Wet Woods, the first on my patch since 2015. It was also good to see 15 LAPWINGS on the Ashes Lane Fields, plus seeing, rather than hearing the LITTLE OWL over at the Small Holding.

Both BUZZARD and SPARROWHAWK were seen in the Scrubby Woods, making up the regular 3 Raptor species to be found on my patch, most of the regular woodland species were also found there, apart from Treecreeper and Stock Dove.

The lakes were frozen over, just MALLARD and MOORHEN were seen there, the ice is so thick it will take a week for them to thaw out, even if there no more frosts, that will probably put pay to finding the likes of Coot or Mandarin Duck for the months list.

Finding a Woodcock on my patch is always the highlight of any days birding, but it was outshone today, when this afternoon, whilst I was watching the REDWING tucking into some apples I had impaled on the Elder tree in my garden, I was absolutely gobsmacked to see a WAXWING (60) come in!! I had just a fleeting view, for even as I reached for my bins, out comes the neighbour in his big red puffer jacket......off flies the Waxwing!  Grrrrrr. I always impale a few apples out in the garden every winter, in the 1000/1 hope of luring a Waxing, so at least I have succeeded now, even if it was just a brief encounter. This was the 56th bird species to use the facilities in my garden in the 17 years i have lived here    :-)

Images for today are from my garden, taken yesterday, but the despite the sunny conditions, the light barely reaches most parts of my garden at this time of year, so not the best pics!

Redwing

SONGTHRUSH