Monday 23 January 2012

East Park in January

 I've been to East Park a couple of times this month, the second time was today, and I was intent on seeing the pair of Ring-Necked Parakeets which are now roaming wild in the park. We heard their calls but couldn't locate them. Still, it was a great day out as the wind had eased and it was sunny. Several flocks of Greylag were grazing as we arrived, keeping an eye for loose dogs (above). An early Treecreeper near the playground was a bonus, and the Goosander flock did not disappoint, mixed with many Pochards and Tufted Ducks near the island by the bridge.
 We became acquainted with a hybrid goose I spotted last time. It does not seem to have a partner and the other Canada Geese are hostile towards him/her. It is quite small and delicate, I wonder if it is a young of last year. There are Greylags in the park with obvious domestic ancestry (white patches). In the past (late 1990s) there were Chinese Swan Geese in the park and hybrids with Greylags but there are no traces of them now.
 Photos from today unless stated.
 Herring gull pair
Hybrid goose
Have you got any peanuts?
Bathing swan (photo 8/01/12) 
Male pochard (24/02/11)
Male Goosander (14/02/10)
Female Goosander (photo 14/2/10)


East Park


Species (number of visits) 8 Jan, 201223 Jan, 2012
Black-headed Gull (2)presentpresent
Blackbird (2)presentpresent
Blue Tit (2)presentpresent
Canada Goose (2)presentpresent
Carrion Crow (2)presentpresent
Chaffinch (1)-present
Collared Dove (1)present-
Common Gull (2)presentpresent
Coot (2)presentpresent
Dunnock (1)-present
Feral Pigeon (2)presentpresent
Goldcrest (1)-present
Goldfinch (1)-present
Goosander (1)-present
Great Spotted Woodpecker (1)-present
Great Tit (2)presentpresent
Greylag Goose (2)100present
Herring Gull (2)22
House Sparrow (2)presentpresent
Long-tailed Tit (2)presentpresent
Magpie (1)-present
Mallard (2)presentpresent
Moorhen (2)presentpresent
Mute Swan (2)11
Pochard (2)1present
Redwing (1)-present
Ring-necked Parakeet (1)-present
Robin (2)presentpresent
Starling (1)-present
Treecreeper (1)-1
Tufted Duck (2)1present
Woodpigeon (2)presentpresent
Total species: 322131

2 comments:

Michael Flowers said...

Did you search all the islands for the Kingfisher? Managed to see it briefly on Friday!

Africa Gomez said...

I went with my three year old, which limits birdwatching a bit! At least feeding the geese we get close and personal with them, but I haven't seen the kigfisher yet at East Park!