Saturday 29th March

The Sun was out first thing, but by 8am the sky became overcast and a few spots of rain fell.

2 Stock Dove were heard calling, 6 Green Woodpecker were seen and heard, 5 Nuthatch were heard singing, the number of Chiff Chaffs singing has risen to 10 birds, 3 Goldcrest were heard along Laurel Walk, 3 Jay were seen, 5 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard – with 4 birds drumming, several pairs of Long-tailed Tits were seen hunting for food, 2 cock Pheasants called, a pair of Bullfinch were seen – the first seen this month, 2 Treecreepers were seen in the Alder wood along the River Len, and a pair of Little Owls sat just outside their hole in the usual old Oak.

Birds seen on the Lake were 12 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swan, 4 Tuftie, 1 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. 2 Grey Herons, a pair of Kingfishers, and a Grey Wagtail was seen along the River Len, a Water Rail called from the large reedbed by the Weir, 2 Cormorants flew east, and in the gull flock on the Lake were 12 Med Gulls, roughly 41 Black-headed Gulls, and 10 Common Gulls.

Also noted was the first white Sweet Violets to flower.

Tuesday 18th March

A northerly wind made it feel quite chilly during my walk this morning.

A Coal Tit and 2 Goldcrest sang from the Wellingtonias along Laurel Walk, 2 Nuthatch were seen and heard in the Alder wood along the River Len, a Pied Wagtail sang from the roof of Mote House, a Stove Dove sang from the Oak wood in the south of the park, 3 Treecreepers were heard singing, 5 Green Woodpeckers were seen, 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard – with 1 male drumming, a Pheasant called from the hedge on the western edge of the rough grassland, 4 Chiff Chaffs were heard singing, the Little Owl sat just outside it’s hole in the usual old Oak, and a small flock of Siskin were seen in the woodland at the foot of Jenner’s Bank.

Birds seen on the Lake were 21 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swan, 3 Tuftie, 1 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. 3 Grey Herons were seen along the River Len, and in the gull flock on the sports fields were 18 Med Gulls, roughly 48 Black-headed Gulls, and 13 Common Gulls.

Also noted was the first flowering Cuckoo Flower, and the first flowering Ash - looking very much like purple sprouting broccoli.

Cuckoo Flower
Cardamine pradensis

Ash
Fraxinus excelsior

Saturday 15th March

After being busy with work and college for the past 2 weeks, today I eventually had the time to get out for a walk in Mote Park. Even though the Sun wasn’t shining, the temperature was very mild.

2 Chiff Chaffs were heard singing their distinctive song this morning, always a joy to hear, 2 Jay were seen, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker called from a Beech, 4 Green Woodpeckers were seen and heard, 2 Nuthatch were singing, the Little Owl gave super views as it sat just outside it’s hole in the usual old Oak, a Stock Dove sat in an Oak, a Pheasant called from the eastern boundary of the rough grassland, a Sparrowhawk was heard calling from a Larch on the eastern boundary of the park, and 2 Coal Tits were heard singing.

On the Lake were 21 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swan, 1 male Tuftie, 3 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. 2 Grey Wagtail were along the River Len, 2 Grey Herons were seen, and in the gull flock on the Lake were 22 Med Gulls, roughly 56 Black-headed Gulls, and 20 Common Gulls.

4 of the Med Gulls

Also of note were the first Wood Anemones and Toothwort in flower.

Wood Anemone

Anemone nemorosa

Toothwort

Lathraea squamaria

Monday 3rd March

It was another beautiful day today, and compared with the past few days there was hardly any wind.

3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming early on, 2 Green Woodpeckers were heard, 2 Goldcrest searched for food in an Alder along the River Len, 2 Treecreepers were heard singing, a Little Owl was observed sitting in its hole in the usual old Oak, a flock of Long-tailed Tits was seen in some Willows next to the Weir, 4 Stock Dove were seen, 3 Redwing were seen, a Pheasant called, a Pied Wagtail searched for insects on the short grass in front of Mote House, 3 Jay were seen and heard, a Sparrowhawk was seen briefly as it caught its prey, the gull flock on the sports fields held 20 Med Gulls – 15 of them were in full summer plumage, and a few were observed displaying to each other – but the biggest surprise was the sight of a pair of Ring-necked Parakeets flying over the sports fields whilst I observed the Med Gulls, and ‘possibly’ the same birds investigating holes in the Alder wood along the River Len! A first for me in the Park – I wonder if they are just visiting or are here to stay!

Ring-necked Parakeets

On the Lake were 21 Canada Geese, 1 Mute Swan, 2 Pochard, 4 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. A Water Rail gave super views along the River Len, 3 Grey herons were seen, and a Great Black-backed Gull flew west whilst being mobbed by a Black-headed Gull.

Saturday 1st March

A late morning stroll in gorgeous sunshine was very pleasant, but a very strong northerly wind blowing made viewing birds harder than usual.

2 Green Woodpeckers were heard, a Nuthatch was heard singing from an Oak, a Goldcrest searched for food in a Yew, 2 Treecreepers were heard singing, a Little Owl was observed sitting in its hole in the usual old Oak, a group of Long-tailed Tits passed through a Hawthorn hedge, 4 Stock Dove were seen – with one pair seen investigating a hole in a Beech, and 6 Redwing were seen.

On the Lake were 31 Canada Geese, 9 Pochard, 2 Great Crested Grebes displaying, 1 Little Grebe, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. The gull flock on the Lake consisted of at least 14 Common Gulls, about 36 Black-headed Gulls, and 8 Med Gulls – with 5 birds looking very handsome in the summer plumage.

Also of note was the first Coltsfoot in flower, and all the Elder bushes are now bursting into leaf.

Coltsfoot
Tussilago farfara

Elder
Sambucus nigra