Regent’s Park
Common Sandpiper: the bird was still present yesterday and showing really well walking along the northern bank of the lake at dusk. With todays overcast conditions it is likely that it is still present.
Whinchat: a female was in the chat bush all day, occasionally flying off but returning a few minutes later.
Common Redstart: a 1st winter male was also in the chat bush.
Common Whitethroat: a male was also present in the chat bush.
Blackcap: three birds were in area 31.
Bushy Park
Common Teal: three were on the scrape.
Common Buzzard: the resident bird was in the belt of trees that runs north from Dukes Head Passage.
Hobby: 3 juveniles were playing above the woodland gardens mid morning.
Swallow: 30 birds were feeding over the grassland either side of Upper lodge Road.
Blackcap: several were feeding in the scrub by the entrance into the park from Dukes Head Passage.
Chiffchaff: 4 were feeding along DH Passage.
This is often the first view you have of a Redstart
Teal over the Scrape
Comments
A couple of photos from my evening in the park yesterday http://www.flickr.com/photos/evanlandy.
I have never known such easy sightings of birds of prey, hobby, kestrel, sparrowhawk and buzzard, the first 2 regularly coming within arms reach and often too close for photographing with my long lens! The hobby's in particular like to come over and check out what I'm doing, carrying their fresh kills of dragonflies or small birds.
The swallows were showing very well in Upper Lodge Road area, both a sprawk and hobby took a pop at them yesterday sending them into chaos.
I head the Cetti's again and plenty of blackcaps about.
You are so lucky to live near by. I try to get up there whenever I can but it rarely happens. I saw your comment on Tony Duckett's blog. You said that the Hobbies like to come really close to you and "check out what you're doing". Where abouts does this happen? Because I walked around the whole western side of the park and the only time I saw the Hobbies was in the evening when they were hunting dragonflies over the field. When they catch birds, where do they usually take them to eat? Tony recommended the Brewhouse fields but I didn't see them there. Also what time of day do you see them?
Please could you give me all the help you can as I would love to see them before they leave.
Thanks, Jack