20th February

DSC_0840

Don’t panic they haven’t returned but for those who do not know the sisters had travelled 20 miles to Amwell Nature Reserve by this morning. Since then they have moved a little further south and back to the RSPB’s Rye Mead Reserve.

Bushy Park

Skylark: 2 pairs in the Upper Lodge Road area.

Redwing: 110 in two flocks, one in the Canal Plantation and another by Chestnut Avenue.

Fieldfare: 4 were perched in trees near the Oval Plantation.

Siskin: 50+ in the Canal Plantation.

Comments

birdman_euston said…
21 Feb:
After a couple of mop-up operations, here are the final results (I've deleted the previous version) of my dawn-chorus cycling tours this week.

Song Thrush territories:
a.1, 9/10, 10/34, Clarence Gate, 12, 13, 14(3), 15(2), 17, 20, 22 (S end), 23, 24, 27, 28, 29/31, 42(2), 45 (E end), 49(2; N end) - total of 24.

Mistle Thrush territories:
a.21, 27 just NE of parking lot, 35/36, 50 just N of lookout - total of 4.

Let me know if you think I've missed any, Tony. I'll post any other Mistle Thrush territories I find but there can't be more than 1 or 2, given the fearsome competition/predation they suffer from magpies and crows, which share the same habitat. (I did see a Mistle Thrush chasing a magpie from its territory on Primrose Hill this morning.)
The Song Thrush info is great. It was something we never got around to doing. It is slightly more than I had worked out. The Mistle Thrush on the other hand I think could be as many as 11 pairs. The areas where I see birds collecting food are 2,3,15,19,22,25,26,32,34,41,48.
With so many BH Gull you should find me a Med Gull.
birdman_euston said…
22 Feb:
Grateful for the area-info, Tony. I'll keep an eye out for nesting Mistle Thrushes - last year two young had fledged in a.21 by early April!
Wish I'd taken the time to check for Meds among all the BHGs on the 18th but I was en route to find the Beardies - hopefully they will congregate again in large numbers on the playing fields in less frosty weather before they leave for their breeding grounds.