Wednesday 6 January 2021

Visit to Gloucester Park – 6th January 2021

Date: 6th January 2021

Time: from 10:00 a.m.

Weather: dry, cloudy/sunny, light wind, 4°C

I visited Gloucester Park regularly during April and May 2020 but after an appalling experience on 21st May 2020 (see here and here), I did not visit the site again until my last visit on 12th November 2020.

I had another visit this morning, primarily to add those water birds to my 2021 year list that would be impossible to record at my other 2 local patch sites.

Although the weather was largely grey and cloudy, hence no photos, it proved to be a very successful visit. In addition, it was an enjoyable experience given that there were no fishermen around the main lake, very few walkers and joggers and not much evidence of littering. One of the walkers that I spoke to mentioned that there was a Tufted Duck on the small lake at the eastern end of the site (see below).

During my visit, I added 2 records to my site list which brought my site total for bird species to 43. Firstly, I saw a single Common Gull amongst the Black-headed Gulls on the small lake near the new housing development at the southern end of the site. Secondly, I saw a male Tufted Duck which was actively diving and feeding on the small lake as advised.

In addition, after my first record for the site on my last visit, I saw the same or another Kingfisher this morning. I first heard its distinctive shrill, whistling call before I saw a flash of electric blue as the bird flew rapidly along the central section of the main lake. It then perched on an overhanging branch for several minutes providing excellent views through my binoculars and confirming it as a male (both mandibles are black in males whilst in females the upper mandible is black and the lower mandible orange). Unfortunately the light was too poor to get any photos so here are a few of this beautiful bird that I have taken at other locations:














Photo: Kingfisher at Rye Meads RSPB reserve, Hertfordshire














Photo: Kingfisher at Rye Meads RSPB reserve, Hertfordshire














Photo: Kingfisher at Rye Meads RSPB reserve, Hertfordshire














Photo: Kingfisher at Connaught Water, Epping Forest, Essex














Photo: Kingfisher at Rye Meads RSPB reserve, Hertfordshire













Photo: Kingfisher at Rye Meads RSPB reserve, Hertfordshire

There were several other highlights during my visit. There was a very active group of at least c.20 Redwings in the hedges and trees between the main lake and the small lake at the eastern end of the site. I also saw a single Stock Dove in this area, the same area that I had seen either an individual or a pair during the spring of last year.

With regard to water birds, in addition to the single Tufted Duck, there were c.75 Mallards, primarily on the 2 small lakes with some male birds already displaying to females in readiness for the breeding season.

Canada Geese were as conspicuous as ever but surprisingly I did not see a single Greylag Goose. There were very few Coots compared to the spring of last year but Moorhens were more common with c.20 present.

There were 2 Mute Swans, an adult and an immature, on the small lake at the eastern end of the site.

I usually record Cormorants on my visits but this morning there were a total of 5 (my highest count to date) either perched high in the trees on the island at the western end of the main lake but occasionally fishing in the lake itself.

With regard to mammals, I saw a single Brown Rat scurrying along the edge of the main lake at the far eastern end by the bridge and 4 Grey Squirrels at various locations around the site.

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

Blue Tit
Great Tit
Robin
Goldfinch
Redwing
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Stock Dove
Woodpigeon
Jay
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Kingfisher
Tufted Duck
Mallard
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Coot
Moorhen
Cormorant
Common Gull
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull

Grey Squirrel
Brown Rat

Site totals to date (2021 totals in brackets):

Birds = 43  (22)
Mammals = 2  (2)
Butterflies = 1  (0)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 0  (0)
Reptiles = 0  (0)
Amphibians = 0  (0)

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature


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