I started the day in Bushy Park before moving on to Richmond Park to see if there was any sign that Oak Processionary Moth caterpillars had hatched. That’s enough of them for now, back to the birds. These birds were all seen on the western side of the park.
Peregrine Falcon: a male flew high to the west.
Kestrel: a pair were south of Upper Lodge Road.
Sparrowhawk: one caused the Skylarks to hunker down on their Ant Hill’s.
Mandarin Duck: 3 were flying back and forth from the Thames to the stretch of Longford River by the Brew House Meadow.
Fieldfare: a lateish bird was with a Mistle Thrush in the Woodland Gardens.
Cetti’s Warbler: the longstaying male was wandering along at least 400 metres of the Longford River north of Dukes Head Passage.
Blackcap: 2 males were singing along the western boundary of the Woodland Gardens.
Chiffchaff: 11 birds were singing close to the river.
Willow Warbler: one singing from the Oval Plantation.
Reed Bunting: a pair were feeding in the reed beds surrounding the pools in the Brew House.
Richmond Park
Common Buzzard: a pair drifted east over Pembroke Lodge at 11.00am.
Crossbill: a male flew east at 11.05am.
Chiffchaff: 2 were in the grounds of Pembroke Lodge.
Regent’s Park
Common Buzzard: one flew north at mid-day.
Collared Dove: one flew through.
Blackcap: 20+ around the park.
Chiffchaff: 15+ around the park.
Willow Warbler: 4 birds present.
Linnet: 20+ flew north in one’s and two’s.
Lesser Redpoll: one flew north.
A couple of males sing from ant hills while below them a sits and listens.
It appears that large numbers of Chiffchaffs hit the parks overnight.
The male Nuthatch stand guard while the female investigates the nest hole.
A pair of Mandarins head back to the Thames.
Comments
I may pop over to see those reed buntings.