Sunday 22nd April

The bluebells and blossom have been taking a battering with the April showers and as a result the interludes between showers have brought out pairs od birds gathering nesting material.  In particular, there are a pair of Mistle Thrushes near the steps between the ponds that have made a nest in the top of a willow tree and were collecting moss from the surrounding area at  every opportunity.

Green is everywhere now and it is only a matter of time when the foilage is too dense to see into the undergrowth to look for nests or to spot those Chiffchaffs singing away in the top most branches of trees.  It seems that the amount of Blackbirds, Wrens, and Robins around suggest that bushes provide adequate protection from predators, particularly brambles are really starting to grow and encompass ground vegetation.

After the Sunday football classes had finished I went for a walk and it started off very quiet seeing only half a dozen species before I got to the ponds where the usual Mallards, Canada Geese, Swans, Tufted Ducks Moorhens and Coots were out.  It wasn't until it was decided to go round a second time that a lot more was seen, 27 species in total plus a fat rat at the ponds the area I call Squirrel Alley.

A Nuthatch was heard as I walked down the path towards the ponds on the Newton Road side.  It was singing over the top of the Blue tits and Great Tits and was spotted in a back garden.  I was thinking that I hadn't seen a Woodpecker in a while and as I got to the ponds near the back of the flats in Woodland walk I followed with my binoculars something of Thrush size.  When it settled on a tree I saw that it was a female Great Spotted Woodpecker. I was quite exited.  Near to where the Thrushes were seen, a lone Little Grebe seemed to be spending most of its time under water, only occasionally coming up for air. Along Squirrel Alley a female Blackcap was singing away and seen which was nice as you tend to see the males generally.

Sightings:

Wren                                      Mistle Thrush

Coal Tit                                  Chaffinch

Blue Tit                                   Great Tit

Robin                                      Lesser Black Back Gull

Black Headed Gull                 House Sparrow

Nuthatch                                 Blackbird

Little Grebe                            Mallard

Swan                                      Great Spotted Woodpecker

Canada Geese                      Tufted

Coot                                       Moorhen

Magpie                                   Pigeon

Crow                                      Jackdaw

Chiffchaff                               Dunnock

Blackcap