5th January

Regent’s Park

I had my first walk around the park this afternoon and didn’t really see much to get my year list off to a flying start.

Yellow-legged Gull: an adult was on the posts on the NW side of the lake.

Fieldfare: one landed in a Plane tree NE of the football pitches.

Redwing: one flew over my lodge this morning.

 

Below is a brief look back at last years highlights. With me being away from the park during the day, there were many birds that I failed to connect with. I have posted a list of the birds that I can remember being reported it totals a splendid 123. If there are any omission or one’s that I have included and you think shouldn’t be please let me know.

Great crested Grebe		Eurasian Hobby		Greater spotted Woodpecker		Wood Warbler
Little Grebe		Peregrine Falcon		Green Woodpecker		Willow Warbler
Cormorant		Water Rail		Woodlark		Chiffchaff
Little Egret		Moorhen		Eurasian Skylark		Goldcrest
Grey Heron		Coot		Barn Swallow		Firecrest
Mute Swan		Lapwing		Sand Martin/Bank Swallow		Spotted Flycatcher
Brent Goose		Common Snipe		House Martin		Pied Flycatcher
Pink-footed Goose		Jack snipe		Tree Pipit		Long-tailed Tit
Grey lag Goose		Woodcock		Meadow Pipit		Blue Tit
Canada Goose		Curlew		Pied Wagtail		Great Tit
Egyptian Goose		Greenshank		Yellow Wagtail		Coal Tit
Common Shelduck		Common Sandpiper		Grey Wagtail		Nuthatch
Mandarin Duck		Black-headed Gull		Wren		Jay
Mallard		Common Gull		Hedge Accentor/Dunnock		Magpie
Eurasian Wigeon		Herring Gull		Robin		Carrion Crow
Gadwall		Yellow-legged Gull		Black Redstart		Rook
Northern Shoveler		Lesser Black-backed Gull		Common Redstart		Jackdaw
Common Teal		Baltic Gull		Whinchat		Starling
Red crested Pochard		Great Black-backed Gull		Common Stonechat		Waxwing
Tufted Duck		Common Tern		Northern Wheatear		House Sparrow
Common Pochard		Feral Rock Dove		Ring Ouzel		Brambling
Greater Scaup		Stock Dove		Blackbird		Chaffinch
Smew		Collared Dove		Fieldfare		Greenfinch
Red Breasted Merganser		Wood Pigeon		Mistle Thrush		Goldfinch
Goosander		Rose-ringed Parakeet		Song Thrush		Hawfinch
Common Buzzard		Cuckoo		Sedge Warbler		Bullfinch
Marsh Harrier		Short-eared Owl		Eurasian Reed Warbler		Common Crossbill
Red Kite		Tawny Owl		Lesser Whitethroat		Eurasian Siskin
Eurasian Sparrowhawk		Little Owl		Common Whitethroat		Lesser Redpoll
Osprey		Swift		Blackcap		Reed Bunting
Common Kestrel		Kingfisher		Garden Warbler

 

Curlews are more likely to be seen in early summer than February, this bird was possibly moving due to the freezing conditions at the time. Which also resulted in Redwings stripping the last of the berries from my cotoneaster, a 1st winter drake Smew dropping in and 3 Goosander flying over

Grey Herons could struggle to find nest sites soon as the Ash tree that held at least 6 nests is beginning to shed limbs. The other nearby trees are not that suitable when it comes to building a nest from scratch. In the past I had man made nest constructed that were very successful.

Mid March saw a movement of Stonechats through London. The area of Gorse where this bird turned at first also held a Reed Bunting. Though the birds were photographed in a nearby Ash.

Gulls of interest seen around early spring were Yellow-legged (above) and what I believe to be a Baltic Gull (blelow). When I was growing up it was called Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Northern Wheatears including birds of the Greenland race past through in reasonably numbers.

Several Whinchats were also recorded this year, but were soon flushed by dog walkers.

Tawny and Little Owls both bred, with the female Little Owl finding worms quite easily due to the wet conditions, however she did look shabby at times.

Two species from the same family that are having totally different fortunes are Great crested Grebe, which were down to 2 pairs, with only the pair on area 8 managing to rear 2 young quite late in the season. While Little Grebes numbered 5 pairs of which all managed to bring off young making this the best year on record.

It is always good when the Common Terns bring their young from Brent Reservoir to the park. Common Sandpipers also showed reasonably well with one bird spending at least a week in the Long Bridge Sanctuary.

The passage of migrants during the autumn wasn’t to bad considering the lack of favourable weather conditions from the continent.

Even though I had good bin views of a Wood Warbler in the Limes in area 39 it failed to show well for a photo.

The rarest bird of the year was no doubt this female Red Breasted Meragnser. She spent an afternoon in the park and as I rushed home from Bushy Park Dave had the good fortune to watch a Short-eared Owl fly over.