A touch of the east coast in the parks today:
Regent’s Park
Common Teal: one was flushed from the Wetland Pen, area 32.
Northern Shoveler: 7 were on the lake.
Common Buzzard: 4 birds flew south around 1.15pm.
Kingfisher: two were in the Longbridge Sanctuary, area 34 and 35. One of them tried to beg for a fish that the other bird had caught.
Northern Wheatear: a bird was on the slope of Primrose Hill early this morning.
Whinchat: one was seen on the post around the rugby pitch by area 41 this morning. It then possibly flew to the chat bushes in area 36 as two birds were present this afternoon.
Spotted Flycatcher: one was present in area 20 this afternoon.
Bushy Park
Common Snipe: one was flushed from the beside a pool in the Brewhouse meadow area.
Common Buzzard: one in the Brewhouse wood.
Sparrowhawk: the young were very vocal in the Fishers Pond area of the Woodland Gardens.
Hobby: birds still present.
Whinchat: one was in the Brewhouse meadow.
Cetti’s Warbler: one though on occasions I thought there were two were in bushes by the Longford River, 100 meters north of Dukes Head Passage.
Common Redstart: a male by Hawthorn Cottage and in Hawthorns just to the south.
Spotted Flycatcher: in the same area as the redstart.
Reed Warbler: 4 around the pools in the Brewhouse meadow.
Garden Warbler: two in the same area as the above but nearer to the park fence feeding in elder berry bushes.
Lesser Whitethroat: one with the above.
Common Whitethroat: 8 present.
Blackcap: 14 present.
Willow Warbler & Chiffchaff: present in fewer numbers than last week, although I didn’t really check all the areas thoroughly.
Regent’s Parks Whinchats
Not the best photos but it is a start.
Comments
Confirmed 4 hobbies together last night. 3 flying around all visible at the same time with one perched in a tall tree watching on, those Dragonflies have it rough!
Tawny owl vocal recently which is nice.
Redstart and willow warblers seen too and 2 wheatear over the east side.
Thanks
The best place to view the birds is the western side of the park. Standing in the open area looking west over the woodland gardens. park in the pheasantry/welcome center car park and then walk towards the cottage in the distance. Evenings are possibly best.
A Hill skywatch 11:00-13:00 produced the Kite but nowt southbound.
Phylloscs are widely scattered in small numbers this week, in contrast to the large flock around Longbridge Sanctuary last week. The favourable NE wind of the past few days has spurred them to migrate each night but it's veering back southward later today.
Do you have species status for either/each site?
Regards Paul