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
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 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):
Great Tit
Robin
Goldfinch
Redwing
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Stock Dove
Woodpigeon
Jay
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Kingfisher
Mallard
Mute Swan
Canada Goose
Coot
Moorhen
Common 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)
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