Mote Park - A Wildlife Patchwork

Reedmace (Bulrush) at Dawn

Yet another beautiful bright and sunny warm day. With every inland local patch seemingly getting Wheatears, Nightingales, Ospreys, Redstarts, Yellow Wags, terns, even Ring Ouzels and Hoopoes have been making an appearance, I am beginning to wonder when it will be my turn! I'm still waiting...and waiting, not even a Cuckoo yet. Despite this though, Mote Park is still producing a great selection of birds with lots of Spring warblers singing throughout the park, and what wonderful weather we have at the moment?!

Large Bittercress
(One of the wildflowers the River Len is important for)

A Willow Warbler could be heard singing from the scrub/rough grassland area opposite the Inlet, 13 Whitethroats were singing, 12 Blackcaps were singing, and 6 Chiffchaffs were also singing. It is a treat to continue to find Sedge Warblers singing in the park, as these birds normally stay for just one day at a time if they do stop off at all! There were 3 birds this morning, with 1 bird continuing to sing from a Hawthorn on the Pitch & Putt side of the Lake, and there were 2 individuals singing along the Len Valley. Reed Warblers are also increasing, with the Lake now holding 5 singing birds.

Reed Warbler singing
- this one proved hard to photograph!

6 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were noted - with 3 birds drumming - 3 Green Woodpeckers were heard, 5 Nuthatch were singing, as were 3 Treecreeper, 4 Pheasants were noted, 4 Goldcrest were heard singing, a male Linnet was singing in the Old Cattle Area (largest area of rough grassland), and 2 Reed Buntings were singing around the Lake - 1 by the Weir bridge and another by the Waterfall.

Courting Mute Swans

Of particular note on the Lake were 2 Cormorants, 7 Great Crested Grebes, 12 Mute Swans, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Herring Gull and at least 56 Black-headed Gulls.

The first brood of ducklings of the year

Butterflies seen were 7 Speckled Woods, 15 Orange-tips, and 1 Green-veined White.