Saturday 24th May

Out in Mote Park again this morning, and another beautiful day too, however, the weather wasn’t too good for butterflies with a strong wind to contend with.

7 Blackcap were singing, 2 Bullfinch were heard calling from opposite ends of the Park, a family party of Long-tailed Tits were watched as they hunted for insects in the hedge on the eastern edge of the Lake, a pair of Goldfinch were heard as they flew over, 8 Whitethroat were heard, and 1 Lesser Whitethroat was heard singing from within a Hawthorn on the Lakes western edge by the Golf Course – my first bird heard in the Spring in the Park, 2 Goldcrest were heard singing, 2 Jay were seen defending their nest against a Magpie, a Pheasant called, 2 Chiff Chaff were heard singing, a Spotted Flycatcher called from an Oak, 6 Swift and 2 House Martins were seen hunting insects, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen in a Willow by the Weir, 2 Stock Dove were heard, 2 Pied Wagtails were seen in front of Mote House, 2 Nuthatch were singing, and a young Crow was seen perched in a Sweet Chestnut.

Young Crow

Birds seen on the Lake were 2 pairs of Canada Geese both with Goslings, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Moorhens, and Coots. There were 8 Black-headed Gulls, and 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the Lake, 2 Grey Herons were seen, and 10 Reed Warblers were heard singing around the perimeter of the Lake.

Also of note were 2 Speckled Woods,

Speckled Wood

...several Small Whites, a Peacock butterfly,

Peacock

...3 Red-eared Terrapins were seen,

Red-eared Terrapins

...3 Banded Demoiselles and a Mayfly were seen in the wet meadow on the edge of the River Len...

Banded Demoiselle

Mayfly
Ephemera danica

...and 3 Southern Marsh Orchids were in flower.

Southern Marsh Orchid
Dactylorhiza praetermissa

Friday 23rd May

It was another beautiful day today in the Park during a 2 hour mid-morning walk.

A young Rabbit

3 Bullfinches were heard calling, 2 Goldcrest sang from separate Yews along Laurel Walk, 4 Chiff Chaff and 6 Blackcap were heard singing, 2 Spotted Flycatchers were heard, a pair of Goldfinch were watched eating seeds from the Dandelions, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen in a Sycamore along Laurel Walk, 4 Stock Dove were seen, a Little Owl was seen, a Sparrowhawk was spotted high up in a thermal, 4 Pheasants were seen and heard, a Green Woodpecker called whilst I walked through the rough grassland, and 2 Linnets flew over west, 12 Whitethroats could be heard singing, and 2 juvenile Blackbirds were seen being fed by both their parents.

Birds seen on the Lake were 2 pairs of Canada Geese both with Goslings, a cob Mute Swan, 2 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Moorhens, and Coots – with 2 pairs having chicks. There were 7 Black-headed Gulls, and 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull on the Lake, a Cormorant flew low over the Lake, a Reed Bunting called from the Marsh by the Weir, and 9 Reed Warblers were heard singing around the perimeter of the Lake.

Mallard duckling

Also of note was the first male Banded Demoiselle of the year being seen by the second bridge from the Downswood entrance, and butterflies seen were 9 Small Whites, 1 Peacock, 1 Small Skipper – the first of the year, and 1 GRIZZLED SKIPPER – my first ever in the Park.

Wednesday 21st May

It was a beautiful morning today in Mote Park. I was out for a couple of hours at around mid-morning.

3 Chiff Chaff and 8 Blackcap were heard singing, a female Bullfinch was observed collecting grass on the bank along Laurel Walk, 2 Treecreeper were heard singing, 2 Stock Dove were heard, 2 cock Pheasants was heard calling, 2 Green Woodpeckers were heard whilst walking through the areas of rough grassland, a Little Owl was seen perched in an Oak, a Grey Wagtail called as it flew over east, 7 Whitethroat were heard singing in the areas of scrub and rough grassland, 8 Swifts hunted over the Lake, an attractive male Kestrel was spotted flying over the rough grassland, and 2 juvenile Robins were seen looking for grubs hidden on the woodland floor.

Birds seen on the Lake were 2 pairs of Canada Geese both with Goslings, a cob Mute Swan, 3 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. There were 11 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the Lake, a Grey Heron was seen perched on a low bough at the mouth of the River Len, and 7 Reed Warblers were heard singing around the perimeter of the Lake.

Mute Swan

Also of note were 2 Speckled Woods and lots of Small Whites being seen...

Speckled Wood

... and millions of small insects could be seen over the surface of the Lake and Marsh.

Clouds of insects of the water

Saturday 17th May

A soggy, cool and overcast morning greeted me today.

8 Blackcap, 3 Chiff Chaff, and 13 Whitethroat were heard singing in the rain, 5 Treecreeper were noted throughout the Park, 2 Goldcrest were heard singing from within separate Yews, 2 Stock Dove were heard, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was spotted climbing up a Wellingtonia along Laurel Walk searching meticulously though the soft hairy bark for insects, a Pheasant was heard calling, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was spotted high up in a Ash on the eastern edge of the Lake, and 2 Spotted Flycatchers were seen, with one bird calling from the top of an Oak on the Lakes north-eastern edge, and the other calling from a Lime by the picnic benches by the boating ramp – incidentally, these are the first birds I have ever seen on arrival from Africa setting up territories, usually I have only seen them in the Summer when they are feeding their newly-fledged young. Most of the areas of short grass are now carpeted with buttercups, and with the mix of yellow and green provide perfect camouflage for the local Green Woodpeckers. On 2 occasions this morning they have only given their presence away when they decide to fly up and away ahead of you. Several gangs of Starling were also seen looking for grubs in these areas, and 2 Pied Wagtails were also seen chasing the insects that the rain disturbed from the flowers.

Birds seen on the Lake were 2 pairs of Canada Geese both with Goslings, 2 Mute Swans, 4 Great Crested Grebes, a Cormorant, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens.

1 pair of Canada Geese with 9 Goslings

There were 4 Black-headed Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and a Herring Gull seen around the Lake, a Grey Heron was seen along the Len, and 9 Reed Warblers were heard singing around the perimeter of the Lake. Lots of Hirundines were hunting insects over the Lake, with roughly 10 Swallows, 5 Swift, 1 Sand Martin, and 18 House Martins being seen.

Also of note were 2 Bream and a Tench being caught by a fisherman whilst I chatted to him, and Comfrey is now in flower.

Common Comfrey

Symphytum officinale

Friday 9th May

It is yet another beautiful day today. After being tied up with work this week it was nice to be able to get out for a walk this morning, albeit for just over an hour. I was without my notebook today so my sightings are summarised.

Lots of Blackcap and Whitethroat were heard singing, just a handful of Chiff Chaffs were heard singing, a male Linnet sang from a Hawthorn, a Nuthatch sang from an Oak on Jenner’s Bank, 2 Treecreeper were heard singing in the Alder Carr, 3 Stock Dove were seen, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard drumming, 3 Pheasants called, 3 Green Woodpeckers were heard, a Goldcrest was heard, and 3 Jay were seen.

Birds seen on the Lake were 4 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swans, 3 Great Crested Grebes, 1 Shelduck, a Cormorant, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. There were 6 Black-headed Gulls on the Lake, a Common Tern was observed fishing and then perched on a buoy - fantastic, my second ever record in the Park, a Grey Heron was seen along the Len, a Reed Bunting was heard singing from the reedbed on the Golf Course side of the Lake, 2 Swifts hunted insects over the Lake, and lots of Reed Warblers were heard singing around the perimeter of the Lake.

Shelduck

Common Tern

Also of note were lots of Orange-tip butterflies, several Speckled Wood and a few Small Whites were seen, Red Campion is now in flower, and the tents and stages for this weekends Radio 1’s Big Weekend have now been set up.

Red Campion
Silene dioica

Hawthorn blossom

Radio 1 tent

Saturday 3rd May

It was a lovely spring day today. Unfortunately my camera was still on charge from a previous day out birding, so no photos could be taken today.

11 Blackcap, 3 Chiff Chaff, and 17 Whitethroat were heard singing – still no Lesser Whitethroats or Garden Warblers! – 2 Linnet were seen, 4 Nuthatch noted, a Treecreeper was seen climbing up a Sweet Chestnut, 4 Stock Dove were heard singing, a Little Owl could be seen sitting just inside its hole, 3 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard calling, 3 Pheasants called, a Cuckoo called from the Lake’s western edge, a Nightingale burst into song as I passed the dense woodland to the south of the Old Bothy – fantastic, my first in the park for the year, 2 Green Woodpeckers were heard, 2 Swifts were seen flying over the Golf Course – my first for the year, and a Goldcrest was seen in hunting small spiders in some Ivy.

Birds seen on the Lake were 4 Canada Geese, 2 Mute Swans, 3 Great Crested Grebes, and the countless Mallards, Coots and Moorhens. There were 4 Black-headed Gulls on the Lake, a Grey Heron fished from the Lakes eastern edge opposite the Model Boat platform, and 9 Reed Warblers were heard singing around the perimeter of the Lake.

Also of note were the parks Horse Chestnut treesbeginning to flower, and the public now only have access to half of the Golf Course and Playing Fields because the construction of Radio 1’s Big Weekend music stages has begun.