Saturday 14th December - Chiffchaff hunt

An unusual sight in the park was this Pheasant perched in a tree by the main path near the Steps. It seemed quite happy and did not move as joggers and dog walkers passed underneath. It's not unusual to see Pheasants in the park but I've never seen one here before. 

Pheasant

After last weeks Tristis type Chiffchaff along the cycle track we decided to have another look along there to see if we could find it again and maybe photograph it this time. Unfortunately we did not find that individual although we did have five Chiffchaffs, all seemingly collybita. The calls heard were certainly the collybita type call and the plumage seemed normal enough on all of the individuals. All were found along the track between the sewage works entrance and the corner of Meadow Lane.

Chiffchaff

The Golden Plovers and Lapwings were again in the crop field by the bypass although only in small numbers, much larger numbers were on the opposite side of the bypass. A passing Sparrowhawk put up the flock at one point. A single Egyptian Goose was still present in the same field.

Golden Plovers and Lapwings

Back in the park we watched this Grey Heron swimming in front of Kramer hide. The new Kingfisher perch was not in use but we watched a Kingfisher in a bush on the opposite bank. Hopefully it will progress to the perch in time.

Grey Heron

Following are a couple of pictures taken when the ringers were in a couple of weeks ago.

Redwing

Treecreeper

Always great to see birds in the hand but especially a couple of crackers like these two!

Weekend (02-03/11/2013)

Saturday morning proved quite productive, helped by the fact that the ringers were in. They caught quite a number of birds while we were there including this handsome Redwing and Treecreeper. A Goldcrest, Blackcap and many Blue Tits also found the nets.

Redwing

Treecreeper

Around the park we also had a good selection of ducks on the Finger Lakes along with a couple of Little Grebes. A flock of 29 Wigeon were circling over the park for a while early on and later we had 45 Lapwing and 6 Golden Plover over. At least one Kingfisher was active around the park.

On Sunday it was a bit quieter, the variety of ducks was similar but no Little Grebes were seen.

Sunday was also volunteer day and we had a great turnout to continue the work on the plantations by the overflow car park. Judging by the size of the bonfire the day went extremely well with much of the second plantation cleared. A job well done, thanks to all who helped during the day.

Had Water Rails Sharming on both mornings, with a little provocation.

DK had the following on Monday (04/11) morning:

Two Bewick's Swans south at 0912.
1400 Woodpigeons south.
2 Siskins south
1 Redpoll south.
19 LBB Gulls south.
6000+ Starlings south from local (?Willington) roost. 

Speaking of the Willington Starling roost I managed to pop over on both Saturday and Sunday evening. Numbers were down on the previous weekend and both days the murmuration displays weren't the best. Sunday was particularly poor with groups of birds going straight into the reed bed without little or no display. Numbers were good, with several large parties coming in, and probably numbered 6000+.

Saturday provided a better display with similar numbers to Sunday but the bulk of the birds stayed out and joined up before heading into the reed bed. The star of the show was the sunset which was stunning.

Starling murmuration at Willington GP

More photo's here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/djb1166/

Weekend migration steps up a gear

'October Dawn' Priory Country Park

DK & EN walked the full two hour transect this morning. It started in dull light but eventually the sun shone through. There was far less wind this morning compared to yesterday's.

Wildfowl on the main lake included Mallard, Gadwall, Wigeon, Tufted, a lone male Pochard, Shoveler, Teal and a Little Grebe, in addition to the "permanent" Coot, Moorhen, Cormorants and Mute Swans. Great Crested Grebes were down to three on the main lake with two on Fingers. There was a good deal of disturbance from 9 o'clock as members busied themselves at the Sailing Club, forcing many of the birds to take flight. That allowed some increased counts to be made as the birds flew around.

On dry land (in the bushes, etc), singleton Reed Warbler, Blackcap and Reed Bunting were unexpectedly found. A fair number of Robins and Chaffinch were seen/heard with lesser numbers of Dunnock and Wren. On the thrush front, Blackbird and SongThrush were outnumbered by Redwings. Overhead, small parties of Redwing moving south or south-west were almost continuous; the first real day of visible migration of the species. Other birds over and calling included more than usual numbers of Sky Lark (going east into the wind), small bands of determined Wood Pigeon, singles of Kingfisher, Siskin, Redpoll, Linnet and Chiffchaff, a poss. Brambling, with twos and threes of late Swallows hurrying south-west later on. There was a good passage of Lesser Black-backs south-west, lasting most of the two hours of observation.
'Autumn Tranquility' at the Fingers Lake (north-west section)

The Sparrowhawks were busy today and seen several times (both sexes). Other birds noted included Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Grey Wag, Pied Wag, Crow, Blue & Great Tits, Long-tailed Bushtits, both Green & Gt. spotted Woodpeckers and Goldfinch. Missing this morning but seen yesterday were Goldcrest, Marsh Tit and Treecreeper.

Thrush Invasion

Arrived just after 7 this morning and started counting GC Grebes on the main lake when a rush of wings made me look up to a sky full of Redwings. I estimate between 3 and 4 hundred mostly Redwings but there may have been a few Fieldfare mixed in, no calls though and all fairly low heading south. After that is was a Thrushy morning with more parties of Redwings and Fieldfare passing over south throughout, plus one party of Redwings that dropped into the Rough while we watched. In the park we probably reached 550+ during the morning with another 100-150 over towards Willington. There also seemed to be a large number of Blackbirds especially over by the Navigation Channel.

Back on the Main Lake there were 47 Cormorant fishing, the earlier GC Grebe count returned 17. The Rough was very busy with finches, Tits and several Dunnock calling before the Redwing turned up.

On West Fingers there were 4 Shoveller and 3 Gadwall and around the back by the Sedgewick Seat we flushed a Teal, with another 3 tucked away around the corner. A Sparrowhawk put in an appearance over the Long Hedge, surveying the influx of breakfast!

Heading out towards Willington it was quiet, excepting the passage Thrushes. The water level has risen further in both the 100 Acre workings and Meadow Lane GP so just Gulls there today. The Tern Pool was devoid of life excepting the resident Mute Swan. A Kestrel was sat on a fence post by the bypass and a flock of 50+ Linnets moved across the ploughed field. Plenty of Geese moving throughout the Morning at Willington, mostly Greylags. The Bar-Headed Goose was with 50+ Greylags on the lake by the road into the gravel works and yet more Redwing and Fieldfare in the scrub nearby.

100+ Barnacle Geese in the field by Dovecote Lake and a good mix of Wigeon, Tufted and Teal on the main lake at Willington GP.

Quieting down on the way back to the park with intermittent Meadow Pipits and Skylarks. Also another large flock of LBJ's seen at distance from the bypass looking across the fields towards the river, possibly Linnets or Goldfinch but just guessing.

A great morning with the highlight being that sky full of Redwing!

Autumn bird walk - 28/09

A bright morning, cold but no fog! Six ardent bird-watchers gathered outside the VC at 9 am. This used to be a monthly affair but the "programme is under new management". Our walk today took us round the conservation area only (i.e. Fingers Lake) and was extremely enjoyable.

On the main lake, 154 Canadas (2 more on fingers lake), 3 Greylags and a Bar-headed Goose (probably an escape, originally from the high plateau of central Asia), a Cormorant and a Heron. Only 4 Gt. Crested Grebes found here (looks like the autumn peak has passed).
Walking down to the Fingers, 2 Sky Lark overhead & 2 Mipits & some unseen House Martins (2-3?). Also a couple of Siskin were heard calling up high.

There were 11 Gadwall on "lilypads", a brilliant Kingfisher entertained us for some while, 3 Cormorants digesting their 'breakfast' in the trees and in the gloom of "east/big fingers" a diving duck that turned out to be a male Tufted. A couple of Chiffs worked the willows of the spit and 'crescent'. Plenty of adult Moorhens in their new (moulted) finery. There was nothing of note at the Kramer hide - the bushes need a good "chop" as they are restricting the view badly. [The Otters should return in the very near future]

Other species included a Gt. Spot., 2 Green Woodpeckers, 3 Pied Wagtails, 2 family parties of LTT (one of 10, the other maybe 12), 4 Song Thrush and ca. 15 Robins. Blackbirds were little in evidence: I expect it won't be long before the "continentals" arrive to swell the numbers.

At the 'long hedge cum rough' section, we found at least 4 Blackcaps (male & female) feeding in the Elderberry, another 3 Chiffs (top of the Hawthorns), maybe as many as 20 Goldfinches, many of them youngsters with "browny heads", all 'twinkling away, and at least 7 Swallows heading off SW at tree top height. No sign of the Lesser Whitethroat from yesterday.
Tony P had a Redwing over earlier.

Plenty of butterflies feeding/sunning themselves- including Speckled Wood, Red Admiral and Comma.

Red Admiral

Comma

Next Walk - Sunday 16th November, 9am.