Sunday 19th August

It was quite warm this morning between 8.35am and 10.55am. The sky was full of grey clouds, which by the end of the visit were a lot darker and produced a very heavy shower.

6 Goldcrests were heard along Laurel Walk, a Blackcap gave a short burst of song from the top of Jenner’s Bank, 6 Nuthatches were heard calling, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker called, a total of 6 Green Woodpeckers were also heard throughout the visit, a Bullfinch called softly from the old Dump site, 3 Treecreepers called from the wet woodland along the Len, 2 Reed Warblers were seen and 1 was heard calling, 3 Stock Dove were heard, a young Sparrowhawk called from the wood next to the Downswood entrance, several Jays were seen, and above the Park were uncountable numbers of Swifts and House Martins racing around the sky.

2 large mixed feeding flocks were also seen in the Park. The total number of birds seen from both of these flocks were as follows: Blue Tits, Great Tits, at least 32 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Nuthatches, 2 Treecreepers, at least 5 Willow Warblers and 15 Chiff Chaffs, 1 Robin, and at least 11 Spotted Flycatchers were seen – there were roughly 4 juveniles being fed by both parents, with the rest consisting of 2 birds that appeared to be first brood birds, and another 3 or so adults. A brilliant sight.

Long-tailed Tit

On the Lake were at least 7 Mute Swans, a female Tufted Duck, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 8 Canada Geese along with the resident Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. 2 Cormorants flew west, a Kingfisher called from the Marsh by the Weir, and 2 Grey Wagtails hunted insects by the Waterfall. A single Lesser Black-backed Gull was on the water, whilst another 2 flew north.

Also seen was a Common Darter, which flew in front of me across the Weir, and whilst sheltering under a Yew from the rain, a flock of 33 Black-headed Gulls and a juvenile Herring Gull flew towards the Lake and a Woodpigeon carried a twig that was roughly three times the length of itself into a Yew opposite mine.