A visit to the lakes this morning, in blustery but sunny conditions, proved not to worth the effort, as nothing was on any of the 3 small lakes, bar the MALLARDS, MOORHENS and CANADA GEESE. I did however add SPARROWHAWK (45) to the months list, when one dashed through the Wet Woods as I passed through en route to the sheep pasture at Migrant alley.

It was at Migrant Alley that I added a further 4 species to the march tally, with a flyover MEADOW PIPIT (46) 3 flyover LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS (47) 2 flyover HERRING GULLS (48), plus bird of the month so far, and also a year tick, a MEDITERRANEAN GULL (65,49) that was feeding on the sheep pasture with a couple of dozen BLACK HEADED GULLS.

A lone YELLOWHAMMER was noted in one of the vegetative strips.....I mean to say....hedgerow  :-)

With some sunshine this afternoon, I spent some time trying to get some images of the garden birds, but mostly I failed for one reason or another. I just got a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER image for my efforts, but I did get to see a JAY, the 28th species to come into my garden this year  :-)

Great Spot

There were some bright spells this morning, but it clouded over rapidly, bring spots of rain by midday, not too bad a morning for the first full patch walk of the month. In all I recorded 44 species to kick the month off, hopefully I will be able to reach the average species tally for the previous 5 March's before the months end, which sits at 66, another tall order I feel!

This is what was recorded in order of appearance..........

Leaving the house and walking along Ashes Lane, I found ROBIN, COLLARED DOVE, HOUSE SPARROW, STARLING, WOODPIGEON, MAGPIE, DUNNOCK and WREN. Turning into the Small Holding I could hear the SONGTHRUSH singing and the MISTLETHRUSH doing likewise, GOLDFINCH, CARRION CROW, BLUE TIT, JAY, REDWING, STOCK DOVE, BLACKBIRD and GREAT TIT were also recorded there.

A couple of TREECREEPERS were watched as they fed around a rotten tree stump in the Wet Woods, but only GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER and GOLDCREST joined the days list from this area.

Coal Tit ( one from the archives!)

The Scrubby Woods added NUTHATCH, GREEN WOODPECKER, CHAFFINCH, GREENFINCH, LONG TAILED TIT, COAL TIT, BULLFINCH and SISKIN, plus 4 BUZZARDS that flew from their roosting place, calling as they went.

Bullfinch

On the lakes, only the regular MALLARDS and MOORHENS were found, plus a few visiting CANADA GEESE.

Making my way out of the woods then across the Ashes Lane Fields and Pub Field, I picked up FIELDFARE and a couple of LINNETS, but nothing else was added to the months list on these fields.

The KESTREL pair were at the Greenhouse Grounds, where at least 6 PIED WAGTAILS were also seen. The adjacent Greenhouse copse had a bit of a treat awaiting for me, when 6 LESSER REDPOLL (64) were watched as they fed up in a mature Silver Birch tree - a year tick! A circuit of Migrant Alley added BLACK HEADED GULL, ROOK and PHEASANT for the March tally.

Nearing the end of the walk along High House Lane, I heard and watched a YELLOWHAMMER fly over and listened to the SKYLARKS singing over Bustard Hill, but no Meadow Pipoits were there today.