With the winds still from a westerly sector bird movement in the parks has been reduced to a trickle. Normally and I talking of my experience in Regent’s Park most of the chats, warblers and flycatchers have passed though by now. It is now the turn of the hirundines, pipits and wagtails to put on a show. In some years the movement of Swallows through the park has been quite spectacular, that is in city centre terms. It will be interesting for me to see if there is a movement over Bushy Park. I don’t mean to neglect Richmond Park but as I spend more time in Bushy I stand a better chance of witnessing any kind of movement, though they might follow the line of the River Thames in this area.
Regents Park
Sand Martin: the hardest of the three species of hirundines to connect with, early mornings is normally the best as on occasions I am sure that they roost with the House Martins, possibly on an island.
House Martin: I should think that most of the birds seen over the park are from nearby colonies.
Barn Swallow: three flew through.
Spotted Flycatcher: three singles in areas 19,39 and 48.
There are still a few Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs around as well.
Bushy Park
I had little time to check the local hotspots, by that I mean the areas closest to my office that have produced during my short time here. The few species that I did notice were pretty much the same as the past couple of weeks; Chiifchaffs, Blackcaps and 1 Common Whitethroat: A few Meadow Pipits and Swallows again ran the gauntlet of passing through the Hobby area.
The sun went in just a this juvenile landed and I couldn’t wait for it to come out again, whereas the Great Spotted Woodpecker looked splendid if a little grubby in full sun.
The stags in the parks are now building themselves up ready for the rut, those with dogs should respect them and keep a safe distance or if they have boisterous dogs take them elsewhere.
Comments
1 Spotted Flycatcher (Leaf Yard Wood near water hole, area 41 at 08:45), 32 Chiffchaff, 1 House Martin, 4 Shoveler.
(I also heard a bird flying from Barrow Hill Reservoir ENE in general direction of Primrose Hill at 10:40. After checking sound files on the internet, initially I thought it was a Yellow Wagtail but later on listening to the flight call of the Eurasian Siskin I can't rule the latter out. It was a thin, plaintive, sneezy but quite pure, downward-slurred, repeated single note.)