Regent’s Park
I forgot to mention in my last posting that I was off to Norfolk for a long weekend with friends. More on that later but in general it was pretty quiet and as only Birdman-euston has posted has any news it appears that the park was dead also. Today I had a couple of hours there and didn’t come up with much.
Great Black-backed Gull: at least 12 birds in one’s and two’s headed north west around 7.30am.
Turtle Dove: we that is Dave and I had a Turtle Dove shoot (fly might be better) over our heads at 7.35am. Mind you it was going almost as quick as a bullet.
Grey Wagtail: a pair flew over the lake.
Swallow: one flew north.
House Martin: one was over the lake, where are the rest of his neighbours from Park Road, they should be here by now.
Reed Warbler: 3 birds singing from the reed beds.
Common Whitethroat: one in area 40 and a Blackcap in area 32 that was trying to sound like one.
Lesser Whitethroat: one singing and showing well in area 39.
Willow Warbler: 2 singing from area 9 and 41.
Chiffchaff: 5 birds singing.
Lesser Redpoll: 5 singles flew north.
Norfolk 3rd to 5th May
The winds were against us but at least we were able to get out and about without having to dodge showers. At the end of the trip we had managed a modest 121 species, I once managed 132 in a day on a sponsored bird watch. Here are some of the photographic highlights from the trip.
Two out of three Turtle Doves that were seen near Chosely Barns.
This Robin was catching damselflies in the picnic area at Titchwell’s RSPB Reserve.
Sedge Warblers, one doing his song flight
Kestrel carrying a lizard
Common Crane flies over the reed bed at Lakenheath Fen. Also present here were at least 25 Hobby’s and by carefully checking through these you could find an adult Red-footed Falcon. The silvery greyish flight feathers were very obvious when the bird banked.
Below is a Hobby for comparison
Comments
Just 1 Swift early doors to add to your tally today, Tony.
Pair of common whitethroats, blackcaps, 5 swifts, 1 hobby, lesser spotted woodie drumming in the canal plantation. A couple of meadow pips, one skylark.
Little Grebe on nest off Longbridge (the pair were building it last week), 5 lone Buzzard glided high over Hill early pm - 3 E 1205/1340/1405 & 1 SW 1315 & 1 NE 1440, 2 Common Tern over lake again 0745-0830, 1 Turtle Dove over 0745 (seen by Dave), 5 local Swift new over Hill at noon (the first may have arrived yesterday), 4 Swallow NW, 3 singing Chiffchaff (the one formerly in Queen Mary's Gardens moved to the quieter confines of The Holme last week), 1 singing Whitethroat Leaf Yard Wood area 40 still.