Time: from 7:45 a.m.
Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 8°C to 13°C
It was a lovely spring morning in Gloucester Park with plenty of opportunities for landscape photos.
The highlight of my visit was my first Grey Wagtail of the year taking my UK 2020 year list to 146. It was obviously my first at Gloucester Park. Unless I have seen a Grey Wagtail during one of my winter birding trips around East Anglia, this is a bird that I would definitely see on my trips to Wales in May and the Scottish Highlands in June (both cancelled this year of course). I was unable to get a photo of today's Grey Wagtail so here is a photo of one that I took in June 2016 in the Scottish Highlands:
In addition, I also added a fly-over Lesser Black-backed Gull to my site list.
Rather than just take my usual circuit walk around the lake, on this visit I also walked much further beyond the eastern end of the lake in to an extensive hilly area of rough grassland, hedges and scattered trees. In doing so, I also found another much smaller lake. I never realised how extensive Gloucester Park is.
My main reason for exploring this new habitat was in the hope of seeing my first Common Whitethroat and/or Lesser Whitethroat of the year although unfortunately I was unsuccessful. There are few of these birds now being reported as they arrive in the UK for the summer so hopefully I will catch up with them on a future visit.
With regard to birds, I saw a singing male Blackcap and a singing male Chiffchaff with a further 6 and 3 of each species heard singing but not seen.
I also saw 3 Green Woodpeckers and, amongst the usual birds on the lake, there are now 2 active Coot nests.
I additionally saw 4 Grey Squirrels including 2 together in the same area where I took a photo on my last visit on 12th April 2020.
Finally, a notice on one of the bridges at the end of the lake has prompted me to join the Facebook group for Friends of Gloucester Park. Like the Facebook group for Noak Bridge Nature Reserve which I have joined and contribute to, it has taken the COVID-19 global pandemic for me to realise that 2 wildlife sites close to my home had such groups.
Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Goldfinch
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Green Woodpecker
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Canada Goose
Greylag Goose
Mallard
Coot
Moorhen
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Grey Squirrel
Here are some photos from my visit:
Photo: Grey Squirrel
Photo: Canada Geese
Site totals to date:
Birds = 27
Mammals = 2
Butterflies = 1
Dragonflies and damselflies = 0
Reptiles = 0
Amphibians = 0
💚🦆
🦉 🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
No comments:
Post a Comment
If you feel like commenting on my blog, you can contact me by completing the comment form below. I will respond to all comments and enquiries and constructive criticism will always be welcomed.