A damp start to Easter, with the drizzle stopping around 9.00am. After a few household chores I went for a brief stroll around the perimeter of the open spaces. This turned out to be fairly uneventful, with only the sound of what is likely to be the summer visiting Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs to be heard. On my way home I stopped off in the middle of the Cricket Wickets away from any footballers or dog walkers and scanned the skies, I should have possibly done this rather than walked around.
Marsh Harrier: a first year female was trying to gain height just to the SW of the park at 11.20am. After gaining some height she then headed off north with determination, eventually disappearing behind the lower cloud.
Goldeneye: three drakes flew high NW at 11.40am.
Meadow Pipit: 55 birds in small flocks headed north in 30 minutes.
Linnet: 2 singles flew north
Comments
As I have said before, "all good things come to those who are patient".
[I won't comment on Shelducks or Blackcaps any more unless it's something new. That said, I heard Blackcaps in two new locations today: areas 20 (fenced-off wildlife garden) and 38 (London Zoo perimeter).]
Willow Warbler 1 (male singing in same willow tree as yesterday, in area 2 just SE of fenced-off area).
The bird flew briefly into a still-leafless tree so I got my first-ever look at a 'typical' (cf. drab) Willow Warbler. Compared to the Chiffchaff, my first impressions are that it has a more streamlined look owing to its longer wings and tail, with an overall yellowish-olive rather than buffy-brown cast and a more distinct supercilium. (I didn't notice whether this one flicked rather than wagged its tail, nor if it had straw-coloured legs.)
Chiffchaff - 8 singing males [areas 1, 10 (Regent's College perimeter), 14, 17, 19, 31->32->33, 41 and 42].
[Dave said he saw a White Wagtail in area 9 (lake shoreline near the bandstand) before 07.30 this morning.]
The lilac hedgerow along the W border of the English Gardens is just coming into bloom. Most species of trees and shrubs are now leafing out, including lime and poplar trees; the main exceptions are the large oak, plane and ash trees.