Thursday 2nd February

My walk around the park took me anticlockwise starting near the car park and heading for the pools.  The weather was quite cold with the slight breeze adding to the chill so I didn't really want to hang around much if I could help it. 

The first sightings of the day were House Sparrows fleeting between the park and the houses opposite along with Great Tits. A single Goldfinch and Greenfinch were spotted in the top of the tall trees on the mound near the car park, and a couple of Long Tailed Tits.

The route I took to the ponds was heavily flanked by squirrels who seemed to be out in their droves today.  At the very grown over overflow between the pools I nearly bumped into a Wren dancing around in the bramble and leaf litter where it soon disappeared.  Near the tunnels, apart from a seemingly large amount of Great Tits, I managed to spot a few Chaffinches.  

The ponds had more of a variety of species today.  Although still quite frozen apart from a small open area of water where alongside the usual Swans, Canada Geese, Moorhens, Coots, BHG's, there were 4 x pairs of Gadwall and a male Shoveler.  Blackbirds pairing off were quite common today and the woodland walk would have probably provided a Woodpecker (as it could be heard along with a Robin somewhere).  This was not to be as it seemed to be the afternoon walk time for owners and their dogs, (or is that dogs and their owners?), which unfortunately tend to scare the birds away, giving me only a glancing view of a Robin as it flew off to safer surroundings and a possible Redwing.

The back gardens along the Newton Road seemed to be quiet apart from the occasional Blue Tit, Great Tit, and Goldfinch.  At the top of the path I couldn't see or hear a single Starling.  The playing field only boasted a few Pigeons, Magpies, Crows and 6 x Jackdaws with a couple of Dunnock near the rose beds.