Time: from 6:30 a.m.
Weather: dry, cloudy/hazy sunshine, light wind, 11°C to 18°C
This was another early morning visit to Gloucester Park. It was again a good visit for birds with 33 species recorded including 4 additional species for my site list, increasing it to 40 species, one of which was also an addition to my UK 2020 year list.
I access Gloucester Park at the north west corner by the roundabout junction of St. Nicholas Lane, Cranes Farm Road and Upper Mayne. Today’s excellent birding started immediately on exiting the underpass.
In the hedge line that runs parallel to Cranes Farm Road and which forms the northern boundary of Gloucester Park, I heard the chattering song of a male Sedge Warbler although frustratingly I failed to see it. Nonetheless, it was an addition to my UK 2020 year list and obviously a first record for my site list.
In this same area, I initially heard the rattling song of a male Lesser Whitethroat and then eventually saw it. This was another new record for my site list. I have already seen this species this year at both Noak Bridge Nature Reserve and the area around St. Nicholas Church.
The other new records for my site
list were 2 Swifts hawking for insects over the smaller lake and a
single Jay in the area between the main lake and the smaller lake. I have
already seen Swifts this year both from my flat and around St. Nicholas
Church.
I saw the male Common
Whitethroat again singing from his usual area in the trees and bushes close
to the pond adjacent to the new development of flats.
I saw 2 Common Terns flying around
the main lake with another briefly fishing over the smaller lake. There was also a Grey Heron at the western end of the main lake.
Other highlights included a singing male Blackcap
with a further 3 heard but not seen, 3 singing Chiffchaffs heard but not
seen, 1 Green Woodpecker plus 2 others heard calling and 1 Great
Spotted Woodpecker and another heard calling.
There are at least 3
pairs of Greylag Geese with goslings and 3 pairs of Canada Geese with
goslings. In addition, I saw a pair of Coot with 5 juveniles (although 3
females are still sitting on their nests) plus I saw a pair of Mallards
with 6 juveniles.
Finally I saw 3 Grey
Squirrels.
Species recorded during this visit were as
follows (heard only records in italics):
Swift
Sedge Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
Common Whitethroat
Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Starling
House Sparrow
Goldfinch
Pied Wagtail
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Jay
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Canada Goose
Greylag Goose
Mallard
Coot
Moorhen
Grey Heron
Common Tern
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Grey Squirrel
Here are some photos from my visit:
Greylag Goose
Mallard
Coot
Moorhen
Grey Heron
Common Tern
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Grey Squirrel
Here are some photos from my visit:
Photo: Grey Squirrel
Photo: Grey Squirrel
Photo: Grey Squirrel
Photo: Common Whitethroat
Photo: Common Whitethroat
Photo: Common Whitethroat
Photo: Song Thrush
Photo: Coot
Photo: Coot
Photo: Coot juveniles
Photo: male Mallard
Photo: Mallard duckling
Photo: Black-headed Gull
Photo: Black-headed Gull
Photo: Black-headed Gull
Photo: Common Tern
Photo: Common Tern
Photo: Canada Geese …. there has been a falling out and we are not talking anymore 😀
Photo: Canada Geese .... we have made up 😀
Photo: Canada Goose and goslings
Photo: Canada Goose and goslings
Photo: Canada Goose goslings
Photo: Canada Goose goslings
Photo: Greylag Geese
Photo: Greylag Geese and goslings
Photo: Greylag Goose goslings
Photo: Greylag Geese and goslings
Photo: Greylag Goose
Site totals to date:
Birds = 40
Mammals = 2
Butterflies = 1
Dragonflies and damselflies = 0
Reptiles = 0
Amphibians = 0
💚🦆
🦉 🌼 🌳💚
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