15th April

Having left the house this morning at 5.30am I have just  got home from work at 10.00pm. It was a long day and quite a frustrating one at that. I had an evening Wildlife Group Meeting to attend so was unable to pop home for one of the goodies in Regent’s Park. Here is a hurried blog posting of todays excitement.

Woodcock: again a bird flushed from area 41.

Common Redstart: 6 birds were present today, in area 31, 32 and 41. This total is one short of the park record 7 that landed on Primrose Hill after a heavy shower on 223rd September 1963.

Northern Wheatear: a male of the Greenland race was on Primrose Hill.

Common Whitethroat: 1 seen.

Blackcap:13 arrived overnight 7m & 6 f.

Willow Warbler: 12 present.

Chiffchaff: 20+ present.

Linnet: one flew over.

Bushy Park

Common Shelduck: a pair on the flooded field.

Teal: 5 present but no Garganey.

Buzzard: 3 flew south over the Paddocks at 4.45pm.

Cuckoo: one was calling for ten minutes in the Woodland Gardens but was never seen.

Northern Wheatear: at least 11 birds mainly males were present in the Upper Lodge Road area and south-east of the Oval Plantation. A few were Greenland Race birds.

Redwing: 7 flew north.

Common Whitethroat: 3 near the exit into the park from Dukes Head Passage.

Blackcap: 6 birds present.

Willow Warbler: 12 along the Longford River.

Chiffchaff: 30 present.

Lesser Redpoll: 6 by the bird screen.

Pictures will be added tomorrow.

Comments

Mark Elsoffer said…
After 10 days of not being able to get to Bushy Park, it was great to see some sun yesterday on my visit.

Managed to spot 47 species. Highlights included Reed Bunting, Chiff Chaffs and Willow Warblers along the Longford River, mating sparrowhawks near the totem pole in the Woodland Gardens, 3 Skylarks (funnily enough in the Skylark Protection Area), a Pheasant trying to escape from the Pheasantry Plantation and watching a Nuthatch gathering mud from a puddle in the Woodland Gardens.
47 species is good going. Did you connect with any Wheatears? There are some real stunners amongst them.
Mark Elsoffer said…
Missed out on the Wheatears sadly, but I know where to look next time I'm in Bushy.

Hitting Staines Moor tomorrow so hopefully I'll be luckier there.