30/7/08

A brief eveing visit only around the northern end:

Sightings summary (bold=occasional/rare visitor to the park, others are resident/seasonal but in low numbers or simply interesting)

11 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, c20 Jackdaw, 5+ Goldcrest, 40+ Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Jay, 3+ Sparrowhawk including juveniles, 5+ Long-tailed Tit, 11 Black-headed Gull, 3 Stock Dove, 1 Greenfinch

Details:

Green Woodpeckers: 1 juvenile 1 adult female in the gardens. 2 juvenile and one adult near the conifers just north of the aviary others heard around the aviary and edges of the gardens and the woods bordering Cheam Park and Nonsuch Park.
Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1 heard in the woods bordering Nonsuch Park and Cheam Park.
Jackdaws: About 20 flew to roost in the woods bordering Nonsuch Park and Cheam Park.
Goldcrest: 5+ in conifers just north of the aviary with a flock of Tits.
Ring-necked Parakeets: Large numbers calling and flying around woods borderig Cheam Park and Nonsuch Park especially when disturbed by Sparrowhawk.
Jay: 1 Near aviary and one heard in the same area.
Sparrowhawk: 2+ heard (probably the juveniles) and one (not sure of age but male) circling above woods bordering Cheam Park and Nonsuch Park mobbed by Carrion Crows and disturbing Ring-necked Parakeets.
Long-tailed Tit: 5+ with tit flock in conifers just north of aviary
11 Black-headed Gull: Mainly on the open area over looked by the northern most car park.
3 Stock Dove: Flying around just north of the aviary.
1 Greenfinch: 1 in flight just north of the aviary.

29/7/08

A good day at the park with the highlights summarised below and given more detail at the bottom (rare patch visitors in bold, others are regular/seasonal but in low numbers or in the case of Ring-necked Parakeet, interesting)

1 Hobby, 20+ Ring-necked Parakeet, c200 Black-headed Gull, 3 juvenile Sparrowhawk, 6 Green Woodpecker, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Mistle Thrush, 1 Stock Dove, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Moorhen , 16+ Herring Gulls over

Further details on the above:

The Hobby was seen flying low over the conifers near the aviary. Could be last year's juvenile that is summering here as a young non-breeder?
The Sparrowhawks were very vocal and were chasing eachother around the woods that border Nonsuch Park and Cheam Park.
Green Woodpeckers were mainly heard but good views were had of one at the second no-dogs area (ND2) which is the enclosed area that the southern most car park overlooks. The usual female and juvenile were feeding the the gardens. I still haven't seen the male.
Ring-necked Parakeets are becoming increasingly vocal now that breeding is finished and their numbers are boosted by the juveniles that I have seen quite often. They are easy to spot with their shorter tails.
Black-headed Gulls were at their highest so far this season with at least 102 at the playing field at Cheam Park (more birds constantly dropping in). A single 2nd summer Lesser Black-backed Gull joined them. Numbers of Black-headed Gulls were seen flying over and there were about 50 more feeding at the second no-dogs area (again, numbers constantly increasing).
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker flew into the gardens and started climbing a conifer.
3 Mistle Thrushes were present around the gardens.
1 Stock Dove was seen in flight around the main grassland area.
1 Song Thrush was heard singing near the ponds.
1 tiny and downy Moorhen was seen at the ponds and an adult was heard (second brood?)
Finally, 16+ Herring Gulls were seen flying over the site.

Finches today included a single Goldfinch over the second no-dogs area, about 20 Greenfinch throughout the whole site, and about 10 Chaffinch around the gardens and aviary. They were all very vocal and obvious today.

28/7/08

Just another quick evening trip around the top half of the park.
Near aviary c3 probable Common Crossbills briefly in flight and calling- couldn't locate afterwards (just need them to settle!)
And just around the top half of the park in general: 3 Green Woodpecker (no juveniles today), c20 Ring-necked Parakeet, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Mistle Thrush, 1 Stock Dove, 2 Jay

Recent sightings

25/7/08

3 Stock Dove, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4+ Green Woodpecker, 1 Sparrowhawk, c20 Ring-necked Parakeet, c20 Black-headed Gulls, 3+ Mistle Thrush, 2 Jackdaw

26/7/08

1 probable Crossbill, 1 Hobby, 1 Common Gull, 4+ Green Woodpeckers showing well including juveniles, 4 Jackdaw, 3 Jay, c30 Ring-necked Parakeets set up by male Sparrowhawk, 2+ juvenile Sparrowhawks (still slightly downy) in woods (first breeding record!)

27/7/08

Best of the morning and evening trips today:

4+ Green Woodpecker (including juveniles), 2 Coal Tit, 1 Nuthatch, 2 Collared Dove (rare for site), 2+ Goldcrest, c30 Black-headed Gull, 20+ Ring-necked Parakeet, 4 Mistle Thrush (including juvs), 2 Stock Dove, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 11 Jackdaw, 10+ Greenfinch, 1 Song Thrush No sign of Crossbill after search in morning and evening

19/7/08

My late summer bird atlas 2007-11 survey. A fairly quick trip between 2:30pm and 5:30pm. Not much birdwise with only 16 species. Highlights were 1 male Sparrowhawk carrying prey and then seen again later over the same spot (the woods at the border of Cheam and Nonsuch Park). A female Kestrel was seen nearby on the grass at the patch that the Cheam end car park over looks and it then flew over the the mansion house gardens were it was later seen again. There were several Green Woodpeckers, two or three families with a juvenile each. Several Black-headed Gulls were settled and flying over. Herring Gulls were often seen flying over today. Ring-necked Parakeets were few and far between today with only about four being seen. There were no Stock Doves or Great Spotted Woodpeckers either. The lack of birds today must have been because of some loud music being played in the gardens for some event and the amount of people there for the event itself.

12/7/08

An expectional day today, I equalled my record day total for this site of 31 sp. Some good birds too- 1 HOBBY 2nd site record+ first adult. Flew from Cheam Park to ND1 at 2:48pm. Also 2 Kestrel (females, 1 ND1 1 ND2- ND1 bird showed very well), 2 Stock Dove (gardens), 1 female 1 juvenile Mallard (first confirmed breeding record- balancing ponds), 2 Moorhen (balancing ponds), 4+ Green Woodpecker, 2 Jay, 6 Mistle Thrush at 2nd no dogs (including juvs), c30 Black-headed Gull (ND1, ND2, short grassland in front of Cheam car park- 5 juveniles altogether) (first settled Gulls of the season), 5+ Herring Gull over, c10 Ring-necked Parakeet (not many today and the ones that were there were quite elusive) , 1 Chiffchaff (singing near balacing ponds), 1 Blackcap (singing near gardens), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (mansion house), 3 Jackdaw (gardens).

4th July 08

A quick evening vist with some good birds. There were a lot of Stock Doves and the usual Ring-necked Parakeets. Quite a few Song Thrushes were singing with one showing well. A couple of Chiffchaffs were singing and one was showing well by the ponds. Other warblers including a singing Blackcap. Woodpeckers included 3 Great Spotted and 4 Green. A Mistle Thrush was present near the gardens and at least 2 Moorhens were seen by the ponds. 2 Grey Herons flew north west at around 8:15pm and a female Kestrel flew to Cheam Park from the large open area with short grass which the Cheam end car park over looks.

Nonsuch Park bird report 2008 is being written and will be printed in December.