Regent’s Park
Water Rail: 2 in the rail ditch, area 2.
Fieldfare: 34 feeding on the Open Spaces, area 37 until flushed by an irresponsible dog.
Redwing: 5 birds in with the above.
Firecrest: the pair that were seen several time towards the end of 2012 in Queen Mary’s Gardens were seen again this afternoon. They were feeding in a Bay Tree by the entrance at the top of Chester Road, area 17 before moving to the pines in area 16.
Bushy Park
Fieldfare: 220 feeding in the Paddocks.
Redwing: 40 were mixed in with the above.
Normally when these species turn up in the London parks, it is the Redwing that outnumbers the Fieldfare.
I spent a couple of hours by Pen Ponds this morning discussing ways of improving it for birds and wildlife. It is a great place for invertebrates but could do much better when it comes to birdlife. Waterfowl on Upper Pen Ponds have dropped considerably. Most of the dabblers are now feeding on Lower Pen Ponds but in nowhere near the numbers seen in early December on Upper PP. It surprised me how confiding the Cormorants are as they perched on the overflow. They only became nervous when I raised my camera.
A small charm of Goldies hang around where the straw for the horses is distributed.
Even the Common Gulls in Richmond are quite approachable. They also like playing with the pond weed.
Diving in pursuit of some weed
Comments
2 Shelduck, 1♀ Wigeon, 31 Gadwall, 28 Shoveler, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 29 Common Gull, 1 Sparrowhawk, 58 Fieldfare on playing fields, 5 Redwing, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrest, 1 Goldfinch, 6 Siskin; fewer Wrens since snowfall - only two encountered my last two visits, down from 4+ in late November.
Bird numbers way down this morning, in part due to due to shower squalls (land birds) and ongoing lake-maintenance work (waterbirds).
1♂ Wigeon (Longbridge Sanctuary viewing platform, area 35), 22 Gadwall, 1♂Teal (roosting on NE shore of Heron Island a.8), 9 Shoveler, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Common Gull (they may have gone instead to Hyde Park, which had 71 today), 1 Fieldfare (Primrose Hill playing field a.49 at 08:20), 8 Mistle Thrush.
Snowdrops coming into bloom in Queen Mary's Gardens a.17.
2 Shelduck, 12 Gadwall, 2 Teal (NE shore of Bandstand Island, area 7 at 09:40), 13 Shoveler, 2 Little Grebe, 3 Great Crested Grebe (year high), 11 Common Gull, 1♀ Blackcap (Hanover Bridge, area 1), 1 Siskin (Wetland Pen feeder, area 32).