Midsummer birding is always steady with little change; that's 'cos we're in between the last of the spring and the first of the autumn movements. Saying this, some Black-headed Gulls have returned already from their breeding grounds.
There are still large numbers of moulting Canadas on the main lake (on the grass if you're out very early) and the Mute Swan flock continues to feed on the much unsolicited pondweed; 91 of each were counted on Sunday. Quotations have been sought to tackle the weed problem.
On Sunday, I conducted what is likely to be my last guided walk. Checking out a lone crow flying overhead, I scored a Rook instead. Most of the birdsong activity was coming from either Blackcaps or Song Thrushes; in contrast the Reed Warblers were very quiet this week.
During the week, we caught two juvenile Garden Warblers, which were moulting their median coverts. This is about as far as they go, preferring to finish their main moult on the wintering grounds in equatorial Africa.
One couldn't help noticing the young Jackdaws. Their squawking could be heard whereever you were in the conservation and new meadow areas. They mostly sat up in the trees between the Kramer hide and the old dipping platform, waiting for mum or dad to come back with food. Meantime, they "chatted each other up", as they do.
Another bird that was conspicuous was the Common Whitethroat. The males gave their short, scratchy song from the bush tops as they moved around looking for insects for their broods. The early birds are already going about having a second brood after sucessfully rearing their first.
We had a short early morning ringing session where we retrapped a female Blackbird. She had a broken tail as a result of a lack of food at a critical point in the moult cycle last autum. She had originally been ringed as a juvenile female five years previously - to the day.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Saturday 19th June 2010
Despite the bright sunny start a northerly breeze kept the temperature down. There were plenty of Swifts and Martins over the main lake on arrival and the Mute Swans and Canada Geese were all gathered at the sailing club. Final count for Mute Swans was 94 with 3 cygnets left on the main lake. Didn't see the Fingers pair this week, must have been tucked around the back somewhere. Canada Geese numbered 78 with 10, well developed, goslings.
JA joined me and we wandered down to Fingers where the highlights were a pair of Tufted Ducks, Kingfisher and the Great Crested Grebe chick swallowing a fish nearly it's own size!
The only sign of the Spindle Ermine Moth caterpillars was the webs covering many of the Spindleberry trees, although we did find a small clump of caterpillars later along the woodland walk.
We stopped at Kramer hide to watch the young Jackdaws in the trees opposite including a completely bald individual.
Pretty quiet as we headed towards the STW bridge but a Cuckoo showed well over the Woodland Walk before crossing over Kingsmead and then over towards Riverside. At the bridge an Oystercatcher passed low overhead, northeast. On the first pool on 100 Acre a few Crows were picking over the carcass of some unidentified creature and a Lesser Black-backed Gull joined the party. JA spotted a Little Grebe through the scope on the larger lake.
Back in the park we spotted a couple of Grey Wagtails next to the Canoe Slalom. A Kestrel was hunting over Fenlake and a Stock Dove was singing in the trees behind the Leat Pool.
It was very quiet along the west wall although the wind had got up quite a bit by that time. Final counts were made of the Mute Swans and Canada Geese before we retired to our cars to warm up. Isn't it supposed to be summer!?
JA joined me and we wandered down to Fingers where the highlights were a pair of Tufted Ducks, Kingfisher and the Great Crested Grebe chick swallowing a fish nearly it's own size!
The only sign of the Spindle Ermine Moth caterpillars was the webs covering many of the Spindleberry trees, although we did find a small clump of caterpillars later along the woodland walk.
We stopped at Kramer hide to watch the young Jackdaws in the trees opposite including a completely bald individual.
Pretty quiet as we headed towards the STW bridge but a Cuckoo showed well over the Woodland Walk before crossing over Kingsmead and then over towards Riverside. At the bridge an Oystercatcher passed low overhead, northeast. On the first pool on 100 Acre a few Crows were picking over the carcass of some unidentified creature and a Lesser Black-backed Gull joined the party. JA spotted a Little Grebe through the scope on the larger lake.
Back in the park we spotted a couple of Grey Wagtails next to the Canoe Slalom. A Kestrel was hunting over Fenlake and a Stock Dove was singing in the trees behind the Leat Pool.
It was very quiet along the west wall although the wind had got up quite a bit by that time. Final counts were made of the Mute Swans and Canada Geese before we retired to our cars to warm up. Isn't it supposed to be summer!?
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Saturday 12th June 2010
After a couple of weekends away it was good to get back down the park to see what had changed. First thing of note was the 4 cygnets with the 2 adult Mute Swans by the island on the main lake. The number of Mute Swans on the main lake is still very high with a max count of 95 this morning. The Canada Geese seem to have given incubating their oiled eggs now and 68 were on the grass in front of the sailing club first thing.
JA joined me and we wandered down to the Finger Lakes where both Great Crested Grebes were in the middle of east Fingers. One of them looked very fluffed up so we suspected a chick was on its back. Several minutes later we were rewarded when a small stripey head appeared.
Little else of note on Fingers excepting 2 Occupied Coot nests with a couple of youngsters from the first broods hanging around nearby.
We had noticed a number of trees covered in web and when we reached Kramer hide we found the culprits were caterpillars, probably from one of the ermine moths (Spindle Ermine?). They were hanging from long threads of silk, many in large bunches, surely a welcome meal for the many young Tits around the park. It was like an assault course trying to get to the hide while avoiding the silk lines.
We headed out along the cycle track and the large lake on 100 Acre provided the most interest with Little Grebe calling, Redshank (2), Lapwing (min 5), Grey Heron (5) and several Mallards (inc. 4 ducklings) and Tufted Ducks. A couple of Pheasants got into a fight along the edge of the lake, always fun to watch. A Great Crested Grebe with a slightly larger chick riding on its back was a nice surprise.
Just a couple of Tufteds, pair of Coot and a Mute Swan on Meadow Lane GP and a few Tufteds, Coots and a GCG on the Tern Pool. A single Yellow Wagtail showed well before disappearing into the crops alongside the Tern Pool.
There was a Common Buzzard over Octagon, drifting towards Cardington as we made our way back to the park.
Little else of note for the rest of the walk although a text, belatedly picked up by JA, from EG left us frustrated having missed a Red Kite over the Rough. Another time maybe.
Red Kite over the Rough (Picture courtesy of Dave Kramer)
More info regarding the Red Kite courtesy of EN:
Red Kite Milvus milvus
[Wing tags] 1 West Yorkshire ??-06-00
RR Priory CP 12-06-10
~ 210 km SSE, c. 3650 days
Note: This bird was picked up flying over ‘the Rough’ during a CES visit at 08:35 BST and was subsequently identified by its wing tags (Right=pink, Left= orange) from a photograph by Dave Kramer.
Young from the Chilterns population were released in West Yorkshire from 1999-2003. No birds in this population have been wing-tagged after 2006.
Pink as a year code was used in 2000 & 2009, therefore this bird has to be 2000 and probably a Chiltern chick taken north. W. Yorkshire birds have bred in Northants.
JA joined me and we wandered down to the Finger Lakes where both Great Crested Grebes were in the middle of east Fingers. One of them looked very fluffed up so we suspected a chick was on its back. Several minutes later we were rewarded when a small stripey head appeared.
Little else of note on Fingers excepting 2 Occupied Coot nests with a couple of youngsters from the first broods hanging around nearby.
We had noticed a number of trees covered in web and when we reached Kramer hide we found the culprits were caterpillars, probably from one of the ermine moths (Spindle Ermine?). They were hanging from long threads of silk, many in large bunches, surely a welcome meal for the many young Tits around the park. It was like an assault course trying to get to the hide while avoiding the silk lines.
We headed out along the cycle track and the large lake on 100 Acre provided the most interest with Little Grebe calling, Redshank (2), Lapwing (min 5), Grey Heron (5) and several Mallards (inc. 4 ducklings) and Tufted Ducks. A couple of Pheasants got into a fight along the edge of the lake, always fun to watch. A Great Crested Grebe with a slightly larger chick riding on its back was a nice surprise.
Just a couple of Tufteds, pair of Coot and a Mute Swan on Meadow Lane GP and a few Tufteds, Coots and a GCG on the Tern Pool. A single Yellow Wagtail showed well before disappearing into the crops alongside the Tern Pool.
There was a Common Buzzard over Octagon, drifting towards Cardington as we made our way back to the park.
Little else of note for the rest of the walk although a text, belatedly picked up by JA, from EG left us frustrated having missed a Red Kite over the Rough. Another time maybe.
Red Kite over the Rough (Picture courtesy of Dave Kramer)
More info regarding the Red Kite courtesy of EN:
Red Kite Milvus milvus
[Wing tags] 1 West Yorkshire ??-06-00
RR Priory CP 12-06-10
~ 210 km SSE, c. 3650 days
Note: This bird was picked up flying over ‘the Rough’ during a CES visit at 08:35 BST and was subsequently identified by its wing tags (Right=pink, Left= orange) from a photograph by Dave Kramer.
Young from the Chilterns population were released in West Yorkshire from 1999-2003. No birds in this population have been wing-tagged after 2006.
Pink as a year code was used in 2000 & 2009, therefore this bird has to be 2000 and probably a Chiltern chick taken north. W. Yorkshire birds have bred in Northants.
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