2nd November 2007

It was overcast and drizzly for the first visit of the month. After listening to flocks of Redwing flying over the garden for most of yesterday evening, I hoped that there might be something unusual in the Park this morning.

4 Goldcrests called in the Yews along Laurel Walk, 8 Jays were seen, 1 Green Woodpeckers were heard, and 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were seen, 4 Treecreepers were noted, 1 Coal Tit called from within a Holm Oak at the top of Jenner’s Bank, 1 Nuthatch called from the wet woodland along the Len, 2 pairs of Stock Dove were seen, a Sparrowhawk was witnessed plunging into a cloud of Starling as they took flight from an Oak tree, 3 Pied wagtails fed on the fields, 14 Siskin fed in an Alder along the Len, several large flocks of Redwing were observed flying over the Park - totalling 53 birds, and the highlight of the visit made itself known with an explosive “pitchoo” from within a Weeping Willow. A Marsh Tit, a first for me for the Park, was accompanying a mixed flock of Tits as they made there way along the Lake’s southern edge.

On the Lake there were at least 5 Mute Swans, at least 150 Canada Geese, 10 Shoveler, which were split into 2 groups paddling round in circles, 1 female Tufted Duck, and 1 Great Crested Grebe, there were also countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The gull flock on the Lake consisted of at least 20 Common Gulls, lots of Black-headed Gulls, and a winter plumaged Med Gull. In addition to this, 3 Grey Herons fished along the River Len, and 2 Cormorants perched high up in a Sweet Chestnut on the Lake’s Southern edge, and 2 Water Rails called from the large area of reedbed by the, flooded, Weir.

Also of note were a large shoal of Roach, several small groups of Chub, and 4 2½foot Chub in the Len, an unexpected sight of 2 young Brown Rats sitting on branch of an Ash tree, a metre off the ground, and the needles of the Larch on the Park's eastern edge are now beginning to turn their beautiful rich golden colour.

European Larch
Larix europaea