SS15 wildlife watching: Visit to Gloucester Park

Sunday, 5 April 2020

Visit to Gloucester Park - 5th April 2020

Date: 5th April 2020

Time: from 9:15 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 7°C to 11°C

By the underpass heading to the entrance to Gloucester Park, I heard a singing male Chiffchaff.

At Gloucester Park, I was able to add a further 3 species to my site list: Green Woodpecker (3 heard), Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 heard) and Long-tailed Tit.

There was just a single Cormorant today perched in the trees on the island in the middle of the lake but interestingly it seemed to be a hybrid of the sub-species Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis found in much of western Europe and the nominate race Phalacrocorax carbo usually found in the UK. This bird certainly had a lot more white on the head than a pure bird of the nominate race.

My second mammal record for the site was a Grey Squirrel.

Gloucester Park is definitely the noisiest of my 3 sites. Does anyone know the collective noun for the aggressive, honking Canada Geese? A “cacophony” seems appropriate!

Whilst walking back home, I heard a Common Buzzard "mewing" twice but unfortunately I was unable to see it.

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Wren

Dunnock

Blackbird

Goldfinch

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker