Saturday 9th August

It was a lovely sunny morning during my walk today.

Hoverfly
Volucella zonaria

3 Coal Tits and 2 Goldcrest were calling and singing from the Yews along Laurel Walk until the area fell silent under the shadow of a male Sparrowhawk, 6 Treecreeper were noted, 2 Chiff Chaff could be heard singing in the eastern area of the park, 2 Green Woodpecker were heard, a Great Spotted Woodpecker called from an Oak next to the Weir, 1 Swallow and 2 House Martins showed their expert aerial abilities as they hunted insects around the group of Oaks in the middle of the rough grassland, 2 Linnet flew up from the large clump of brambles in the rough grassland as I passed through, and a large gathering of Goldfinch and Greenfinch were gathered in the area of Hawthorn scrub adjacent to the Lake’s Inlet.

On the Lake were 3 Great Crested Grebes, 2 Mute Swans, 27 Canada Geese, and the countless Mallards, Moorhens, and Coots. There were 9 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls frequenting the Lake, a Grey Heron perched on the low branch of a willow by the mouth of the River Len, and 2 Cormorants flew down onto the Lake as I crossed the Weir.

Butterflies were active with Small and Essex Skipper, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Small White, Green-veined White, Comma, Speckled Wood, and Holly Blue being seen. Both Southern and Migrant Hawkers were seen in very good numbers, and 3 male Banded Demoiselles ‘danced’ over a clump of reeds by the bridge nearest to the Downswood entrance.

Comma

Migrant Hawker