24th March

Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park

Mute Swan: While adding more nesting material to the small island that I was able to have constructed this winter I was pleased to find the female had laid 2 eggs.

Goldeneye: the female was towards the eastern end of the Serpentine at 6.30am.

Scaup: still present and enjoying himself in the swimming area at 6.35am.

Cetti’s Warbler: singing from the Scrub just beyond the Serpentine Bridge.

Willow Warbler: one was singing very quietly close to the Cetti’s.

Chiffchaff: 4 birds singing.

Regent’s Park

I checked on the progress of the 4 Heron chicks, who all seemed fine in the sun. I then checked out the Herons on Heron Island who are also doing well and will not have to run the gauntlet of the corvids. Scanning the lake afterwards I was delighted to find an adult Kittiwake sitting on the water. Fortunately it stayed long enough for some of the parks local birders to connect with it. However those arriving after 1.00pm missed out because the first pedalo of the day flushed it. It then circled the lake gaining height before departing to the west.

 

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This was my first view, the gull on the right caught my attention first but not for very long. The question was would it stay long enough for me to get around to the other side of the lake or would it be off the moment I left this spot. It took about 5 minutes to get to the the lake edge nearest to the spot where the bird had been. Phew! it was still there but still to distant for a decent photo.

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And then it was gone.

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And for those laridae  experts who’s this?

 

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