Saturday 23rd June

Grey clouds floated above the Park during this mornings stroll between 7.30am and 9.30am. There was a cool westerly breeze, which made the temperature feel a little chillier than what it has been the past few days, and a couple of showers fell from the overcast sky.

During the visit a minimum of 7 Blackcaps, 6 Chiff Chaffs, 6 Reed Warblers, and 8 Whitethroats were singing.

A scan of the Lake produced a minimum of 5 Mute Swans, 4 Greylag Geese and 4 Great Crested Grebes, together with the usual Canada Geese, Mallard, Coots and Moorhens. There was an evident increase in Canada Geese, so I duly tried to count them. There were at least 129. 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also on the Lake, another was flying above the water, 3 Cormorants sat on the island next to the Weir, another fished on the water, whilst another sat on the boating ramp, and lastly, a Grey Heron fished on the western side of the Lake.

Black headed Gull

Also of note were a total of 3 Green Woodpeckers heard calling from various parts of the Park, 3 Stock Doves were heard, 3 Pheasants called from the Meadow, a total of 4 Nuthatch called, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard, 4 Goldcrests sang and called from the Wellingtonia along Laurel Walk, 2 Grey Wagtails were feeding by the Weir, a Kestrel perched in one of the Meadow Oaks, 2 Treecreepers were heard by the footbridge, there was a notable increase in Goldfinch numbers, at least 4 Bullfinch were heard, and on the grass in front of Mote House a pair of Mistle Thrush were feeding 4 youngsters. 9 Swifts and 14 House Martins were flying around above the Lake and Meadows, and a lone Med Gull flew west over the playing fields.

Also of note were several 7-spot Ladybirds, on the thistles in the Meadow, and a Pine Ladybird, which was in a Scots Pine along Jenner’s Bank.

Hedge Bindweed
Calystegia sepium