Pittswood Birds

Heavy rain early this morning made for another late patch visit, when it was still practically dark at 08:00hrs, at least with the change of the clocks this weekend the mornings will be lighter earlier, - just for a while anyway!

I was out for around 3 hours, visiting the lakes first off, where once again the MUTE SWANS took star billing, a real treat to have them here  :-) I was also treated to my almost daily sighting of the KINGFISHER as it flitted across the Ornamental lake. On the Main lake two CORMORANTS were fishing, then as I watched them a GREY HERON dropped in, that lot and the 8 MALLARDS plus a scattering of MOORHENS kept up the busier than normal scene for the lake area.

The adjacent Scrubby Woods was quite busy too, helped by the sighting of the LONG TAILED TIT flock which had been joined by BLUE TITS, GREAT TITS, 2 COAL TITS, a CHAFFINCH, a TREECREEPER, a NUTHATCH and two GOLDCRESTS, a pair of BULLFINCH were also seen nearby, while overhead a MISTLE THRUSH and a couple of REDWING passed through.

I checked the Ashes Lane Field and the Pub field, plus had a circuit of Migrant Alley, but as was the case yesterday, most of the bird activity was from flyovers, which included HERRING GULLS, BLACK HEADED GULLS, a LESSER BLACKED BACK GULL, ( just the second record this month ), as well as a few MEADOW PIPITS and SKYLARKS.

The Greenhouse Grounds was full of DUNNOCKS, they were joined by a few WRENS and ROBINS, 4 PIED WAGTAILS sat on the greenhouse rooves, and a CHIFFCHAFF was seen in the hedgerow that forms the border with Migrant Alley, it was with another Goldcrest.

Not too bad a visit then, but nothing new for the months list, still a few days left yet though  :-)

With the light being so poor this morning the camera didn't get much action, but I have got a few images from my garden feeders to brighten the post, I took them yesterday  :-)

Dunnock at the Greenhouse Grounds

Chaffinch from my garden

STARLING on the garden wall

Moulting GOLDFINCH

Superb adult GOLDFINCH