Pittswood Birds

There was a slight frost for this mornings full patch walk, when it remained dry and windless with the odd sunny spell.

Among the 42 species I recorded on todays visit, two were new for the months list, a GREY WAGTAIL (46) and a YELLOWHAMMER (47) both of which flew over Migrant Alley, the only other flyover species noted were HERRING GULL and BLACK HEADED GULL.

Once again, as has been noted for the past 3 days, there was a mixed flock of a few hundred FIELDFARE/REDWING  that had spread themselves over the farmland parts of my patch and again they were supported by the odd MISTLETHRUSH, SONGTHRUSH, BLACKBIRD and small numbers of STARLINGS.

The female KESTREL hunted along High House Lane, where SKYLARKS were singing and MEADOW PIPITS calling out on the adjacent pasture at Bustard Hill, but the only other raptor species seen today was a male SPARROWHAWK that I spied on the edge of the Wet Woods.

All the expected woodland species turned out today, the best as usual being NUTHATCH, TREECREEPER, GOLDCREST, COAL TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, BULLFINCH, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, GREEN WOODPECKER, JAY and STOCK DOVE.

Just another 9 species needed for the month to reach the mean average number of species recorded for the previous 5 Februaries!