Regent’s Park
Great Black-backed Gull: one over early morning.
Common Sandpiper: although not reported yesterday the bird was again present, early morning it was around the main lake before again retreating into the Longbridge Sanctuary.
Common Swift: three were seen this morning.
Spotted Flycatcher: at least four birds were present, 2 in area 31 and 2 in area 39.
Garden Warbler: one in the Cricket Pen again.
Common Redstart: yesterdays male may have been glimpsed this morning. Another bird was found in area 41 in Hawthorn by the Holme Oak that the Firecrests are drawn to.
Willow Warbler: 20+ present
Chiffchaff: only six seen today, normally at this time of year they outnumber Willows.
Bushy Park
Meadow Pipit: 14 birds feeding in an area where the bracken has been cut. We are looking to stop the spread of this plant so that the Skylarks breeding area isn’t reduced anymore. With luck if this process is kept up they might well increase in years to come. These areas could be good for migrant chats.
Skylark: 6 birds in the grassland by the bracken.
Sand Martin: at least six birds feeding over this grassy area with Swallows and House Martins.
Chiffchaff: eight birds around Hawthorn Cottage.
Little Owl: a pair were mobbed by the Chiffchaffs.
I thought I had worked out this birds routine but he came in from the opposite direction and I was rewarded with this piece of action.
Dumpy Swallow and Sand Martin
Comments
Sunny, 15 C and nearly calm at dawn.
Lesser Whitethroat 1 (brambles in front of Leaf Yard Wood water bath, area 41 at 07:15).
Spotted Flycatcher 1 (in what for me is the species' most reliable Park migration haunt: dead snags of tall lime trees bordering SW side of Old Golf School wildlife enclosure, area 39 at 07:50).
Garden Warbler 2 (S side of Cricket Pen, area 31 at 06:15).
Willow Warbler 3 (Cricket Pen at 06:15).
Chiffchaff 6.
Blackcap 3.
House Martin 3.
(No sign of yesterday evening's 1st-winter male redstart in area 41 when I checked at 07:00am, and the recent small 'wave' of Willow Warblers seems largely to have left the Park overnight.)
(The family of Great Crested Grebes has moved for the first time from their nest site on Heron Island; they were off the NE shore of Bandstand Island near Holme Green around 08:30 this morning. The female was carrying the two chicks - which have the most beautiful charcoal-and-white, cryptic colouration - and the male was catching fish for them and keeping watch.)