Monday 11th April

For my first post of the 'freshened-up' blog, a bright sunny morning was enjoyed with lots of insects on the wing and birds singing, and plenty of wildflowers in bloom too.

Ornamental Norway Maple

5 Green Woodpeckers were 'yaffling', 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers called, a total of 5 Goldcrests could be heard singing from Yew trees along Laurel Walk and the old gardens, 6 Nuthatch were noted throughout the park, 1 Treecreeper was heard from the edge of North Wood at the foot of Jenners Bank, and 3 Pheasants were noted - 2 in the scrub and rough grassland south of the Lake, and 1 along the hedgeline by the Old Bothy north of the River Len.

Pheasant trying to hide

6 Chiffchaff were singing, a Blackcap seemed to be singing from every suitable tree or hedge in the park today, with 8 birds recorded in total (I'm sure there seems to be alot more around this spring?).

Common Whitethroat

In the scrubby rough grassland area south of the Lake's Inlet, the scratchy song of the first Whitethroat of the year was heard - 7 days after the earliest ever record in the park, the 4th April back in 2009.

Common Whitethroat

Of particular note on the Lake were 9 Mute Swan, 5 Great Crested Grebe, at least 75 Black-headed Gulls, and 7 Common Gulls. 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and 2 Herring Gulls flew west.

Speckled Wood

The first Speckled Wood of the year was found fluttering over a patch of nettles in the Yew wood (old gardens) east of Mote House, Orange-tips were everywhere with 12 being seen in total, 3 Green-veined Whites were seen - the first of the year - and a Peacock butterfly was spotted through the scrubby area south of the Lake's Inlet. Also, the first basking Red-eared Slider Terrapin was seen.

Red-eared Slider Terrapin