SS15 wildlife watching: Visit to Gloucester Park

Thursday, 10 March 2022

Visit to Gloucester Park – 10th March 2022

Date: 10th March 2022

Time: from 9 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 7°C to 12°C

On my last visit to the site on 26th February 2022, my main purpose was to hopefully see and photograph a Kingfisher rather than an extended walk around the site as I usually do.

This morning’s visit had the same objective and I was partially successful in that this time I actually saw a Kingfisher.

I spent over an hour sat at a single location at the western end of the main lake and I neither heard nor saw a Kingfisher.

I therefore decided to walk the length of the lake to the eastern end. Before reaching the end, I had a very brief and distant view of a Kingfisher flying away from me.

I spent a further period of over an hour sat overlooking an area where I have previously seen a Kingfisher perched in lakeside vegetation but this unfortunately also proved to be unsuccessful.

However, sitting waiting for Kingfishers to appear did provide other opportunities.

Having recorded my first sighting of Common Buzzard for the site on my last visit (a single bird and 3 together), I saw 2 more this morning, the first being harassed by a Carrion Crow before flying off in a north westerly direction and the second soaring over the wooded area beyond the main lake.

In addition, I added Greylag Goose (2 pairs at different locations on the main lake) and Green Woodpecker (1 heard calling) to my 2022 list for the site bringing the total to date to 33.

From my first location waiting for Kingfishers, I was able to watch and photograph a rather confident but very wet Brown Rat as it foraged at the edge of the lake, a singing Robin, a small group of Long-tailed Tits and a fishing Cormorant. At my second location, I was able to watch and photograph a pair of Blue Tits as they prospected a suitable nest site in the top of a pole to which a lifebuoy and wildlife notice were attached.

Remarkably, I also briefly saw 2 butterflies, a probable Red Admiral and a probable Comma, although frustratingly I could not confirm the identification of either to add to the site species list.