11th March

Regent’s Park (blue print)

Smew: the drake red head is still present.

Common Shelduck: the pair that have bred or or attempted to breed have returned again.

Common Teal: 6 on area 8. 

Northern Shoveler: 38 present

Grey Heron: at least 2 nests have young in.

Red Kite: one flew north at 10.10 am, just as I was going in for coffee, unfortunately the camera was in the car but the bird was very high and wouldn’t have been a good picture.

Great Black-backed Gull: four flew NW, but were they GBB’s, they looked large and heavy winged, but the distant photo shows something different about them.

Lesser Redpoll: one flew in from the SW.

Siskin: one flew north.

Grey Heron in the rail ditch looking for breakfast

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Grey Heron eating breakfast

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The female on the eye level nest is now incubating

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Other pairs are still mating

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At least 2 nests have young in them, and the picture below shows 2 nests, one slightly in front of the other, though it looks like one large nest.

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Common Shelduck

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Shoveler

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Perching Little Grebe

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The photo possibly shows LBB’s I thought that they flew like GBB’s though it could have been that they were flying into a head-wind and I wasn’t wearing my glasses.

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Reed Bunting female in the rail ditch, before flying towards Hanover Bridge and then on to the bird feeder tree.

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Comments

Marc Heath said…
Lovely set of shots, poor old frogs but a well caught set.r
That is the problem with trying to create habitats, something always comes out on top. The trouble with this location is that unless you use a hide, the early morning sun and that is when the frogs are more active is behind the Herons.
Pete Woodruff said…
Love the Little Grebe hauled out shot. Grey Herons....No mercy Tony.
birdman_euston said…
12 Mar: Two redwings feeding on grassy ground under trees at SE corner of area 29 (just N of fenced-off gardeners' covered plots) at 06.40. Young male Reed Bunting singing lustily in Cricket Pen (from reeds S of pond, and environs), area 32 at 08.00.

[Myself having birded mostly in Canada, the Reed Bunting was a lifer for me and had me frantically leafing through my bird guide to identify yet another European 'little brown job' (this one with a white malar stripe on a dusky background as its only obvious field mark). Luckily, viewing conditions were perfect, the bird showed amazingly well from all angles (singing "tsee, tsee, tsee, titic, tsee, tsee") and of course Tony had seen a female only yesterday so immature male Reed Buntings were on my radar. Despite all these clues, I was stumped and beginning to panic until the bird dived obligingly into... a REED bed - even I'm not THAT thick! For the record, the bird I saw has yet to start moulting appreciably into the extensive brownish-black bib on the upper chest, as shown in my Collins field guide.]
birdman_euston said…
Sorry, for 'Cricket Pen' above read Wetland Pen (area 32).
Pete you are right there, given a chance Herons will eat anything.
Thank you Birdman, as I will only have a limited amount of time in the park your observations are greatly appreciated.
birdman_euston said…
Happy to pitch in, Tony - I expect to get out in the Park most mornings for the duration of the Spring migration.

(Today's Reed Bunting was amazing - it was if he was complaining, "How many clues to my identity do you NEEED, mate?". The species is also much smaller than I had imagined - the field guide makes it look like an Amazon.)
birdman_euston said…
It's probably worth my adding, with a view to areas of the Park that I *don't* normally get to, that my usual morning circuit takes me from Chester Gate to, in order, areas 22->23->29->31->32->34->37->38->39->40->41->1->2->36->33 (and out again via Chester Gate).

(Of course, on banner migration days when my luck is in I'll 'ramble' to other areas too!)
birdman_euston said…
Further to the above re my daily birding route, this morning I worked out an extension to my usual circuit, for days when there are lots of migrants or I'm feeling extra energetic. Continuing from area 33, my extended route takes in areas 10->9->11->12->13->14->17->18 (then exiting the Park via Chester Gate).
Ralph Hancock said…
Is there only one Little Grebe? I have repeatedly seen one here, but never more. It was near the island today, 17 March. The Shelduck were still present, but I couldn't find the Smew.