Pittswood Birds

Last night, around 21:00, I heard a commotion in the back garden, I looked out to find this LITTLE OWL scolding a cat, from the branch's of the leylandi tree. The branch was well overhanging my garden, and so qualifies Little Owl as a garden tick. No. 51. It was quite dark so the pics are fuzzy.

This Morning was the first full walk round of my patch for the month, and as so, it means the monthly head count of all the birds I saw took place. Over 600 birds of 52 species were recorded, an excellent count.

The golf course held plenty of MOORHENS, and a roaming flock of mixed Tits, containing 14 LONG TAILED TITS and at least 2 NUTHATCH. The lake area and adjacent scrub, gave up 16 MALLARD, 4 TURTLE DOVES, 4 BLACKCAP, 2 CHIFFCHAFF and a family of CANADA GEESE. The wet woods was pretty quiet, just as well because the mosquitoes were out in force and I wasn't hanging about to count birds! Through the other side of the woods, in the small holding and large gardens, I picked up a couple of GREEN WOODPECKERS, and in a old apple tree there were 2 adult, a young LITTLE OWL, first confirmation of breeding for this species this year.

The tree nursery had the only WHITETHROAT recorded today, and above a KESTREL was hovering. At Migrant alley 3 LAPWING flew over, as did 4 LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS, 3 BLACK HEADED GULLS and 11 HERRING GULLS. A SPARROWHAWK also went over, carrying an unfortunate victim. The sports pitch at the college had a large corvid flock on it, I counted 83, ROOKS and 75 JACKDAWS! Also at the college was a SPOTTED FLYCATCHER, but no young were found.

One of three Lapwing that flew over Migrant Alley

Spotted Flycatcher at the college grounds (apologies for the worse than usual pics, but the light was dismal!)

This is part of the large corvid flock at the sports pitch. made up of Rooks and Jackdaws

In this tangle of foliage are 3 Little Owls, can you see them ? ( I know the blurry pic doesn't help! )