12th April

Regent’s Park

Species wise not that many migrants, although it is still fairly early in the year for the Central London Parks to get many. However today was a Red Letter Day for me, you will see see why.

Great crested Grebe: 2 pairs are breeding on the main lake.

Little Grebe: 4 pairs are present but have not yet set up a nestsite yet.

Common Scoter: while trying to photograph Red Crested Pochards in flight my attention was momentarily drawn to a 2 ducks, one of which was very dark. I put the camera down and looked through my bins in the direcection that these birds had landed. I was astonished to see a pair of adult Common Scoters sitting on the water very close to the Boathouse Jetty. There were already boats on hire out on the lake, so I knew the chances of any other birds connecting with them would be slim. For that reason I enjoyed this spectacle all by myself. In the 37 years that I have been in this park I have only this species once before, that was in October 1987. That concerned 2 females flying SE, heading in the direction of the Thames estuary, probably where these latest 2 were blown in on a gusty wind. Today’s birds took to the air the moment that felt pressured by a nearby pedlow.

Shelduck: the drake from the regular pair that arrive here to breed during the summer was loafing on the bank of area 9.

Shoveler: a late staying drake was on the lake.

Sparrowhawk: a pair were displaying above the Holme.

Wheatear: 2 males were on the cricket wickets at 8.05am.

Blackcap: 8 males were singing.

Willow Warbler: at least 16 birds were present in the park.

Chiffchaff: 11 birds were present. 

 

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The pair although very distant looked in cracking condition.

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Once a pedlow comes to close they are off.

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Fortunately for me though taking off  on a SW facing runway, once of the water they banked towards me and flew right over my head.

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The Chiffchaffs, like the one below seemed to prefer the upper parts of the trees today.

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The pair were displaying until a blooming corvid started to hassle the male, however he was soon back up over his territory.

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This is from the nest that had and still has 4 young.

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The Crow above must have been watching the Herons gather nesting material from below this Willow, while I am surprised that the bird below can fly.

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