Pittswood Birds

There was a short window of dryer weather early this morning, before more rain arrived around midday, setting in for the afternoon.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear a LESSER WHITETHROAT singing along Ashes lane first thing this morning, maybe it has just arrived, if so, it is very late indeed, lets hope it sets up territory here.

I wasn't surprised to see both KESTREL and LITTLE OWL hunting around the Greenhouse Grounds though, their usual haunt, I even got a distant photo of the latter today  ;-)

Little Owl, giving me the 'wink' :-)

I had another bit of a surprise a few minutes later, finding a fourth species of Goose at Migrant Alley, along with the 3 usual suspects of 23 GREYLAGS, 14 CANADA and the feral BARNACLE GOOSE was an immature EGYPTIAN GOOSE (70) something new for the May list, bringing up the 70th species, in fact Egyptian Goose is new to the 12 year combined May list, which is at 93 now   :-)

I saw one of the SPOTTED FLYCATCHER pair at the College Grounds whilst ticking off most of the regular stuff, but no more recently fledged young of any species were seen here today, I had to wait until I reached the Wet Woods for that to happen, when I saw a minimum of 6 duckling MANDARINS with the female bird, the third year in succession that they have bred there now  :-)

I added a few of the regular species that weren't seen earlier in the morning to my days tally as I looked over the Scrubby Woods and lake area, bringing it to an excellent 51 species, though if the rain had not halted the walk, i'm sure I would have been knocking on the door of the magic '60' tally, with the likes of Bullfinch, Coal Tit, Sparrowhawk, Pheasant, Grey Heron, Turtle Dove and Lesser Black Backed Gull all possible, with maybe Hobby or the Peregrine thrown in.

I checked up on the COOT family on the Lakes, the three young are continuing to do well, they had the water all to themselves as nothing else was about at all. A COMMON BUZZARD was seen very low over the Ashes Lane field as I walked home in the rain, I wonder if they are breeding somewhere on my patch ?

This afternoon, whilst looking out into the Garden, I was pleased to see the first  newly fledged GREENFINCH being fed by both parents, the 13th species to have bred successfully here so far this spring  :-)

First Greenfinch young of the year  :-)

just to brighten the post a bit, here's a few more of the photo's I took over the weekend  :-)

Large Red Damsel

Large Red Damsel

Large Red Damsel

Speckled Wood Buterfly