Saturday, February 12, 2011

Saturday 12th February


Japanese Cherry blossom

It was great to be in the park again - 2 weeks is too long!! I have got a lot of studying to do at the moment but I managed a quick walk this afternoon. It was lovely and sunny, and it was amazing to see the changes to the park since alot of the vegetation clearance work has been done.


Great Spotted Woodpecker

6 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming around the park, 5 Goldcrest were noted, 2 Nuthatch and 1 Treecreeper were heard calling, several Long-tailed Tits were seen, and it was nice to hear 5 Song Thrush singing. It is also interesting to note that a possible Willow Warbler was heard in subsong along the Len Valley. My reason for not being 100% certain is that, of course, it is the 'wrong' time of year to hear them, but also because I only heard the second part of the song and it was uttered only the once.

Evening sunlight through brambles

On the Lake were 32 Pochard, 7 Tufted Duck, 5 Mute Swan, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls - new for the year - at least 158 Black-headed Gulls, and around 14 Common Gulls. It was amazing to witness a HUGE flock of gulls flying northwards made up of way over 200 birds, mainly Black-headed Gulls, way up high in the sky.

3 comments:

Warren Baker said...

I think Treecreeper song can sound somewhat similar to a Willow Warbler Simon, might be what you heard ?

Phil said...

Nice to see a bit of blossom Simon. A bit early for Willow Warbler but stranger things have happened!

Simon said...

Warren, yes I expect that it probably was a Treecreeper, although it did sound REALLY like a Willow Warbler, that wonderful liquid quality, ya know?! Just wish it'd sung again!

Phil, yes agree, stranger things have happened - I heard that a Hoopoe was seen in Dorset this winter?!

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