I think I broke my day list record for Nonsuch Park today with 34 species seen or heard.
Some of these species were great patch birds. Species in bold are occasional visitors to the site, others are resident or seasonal but in low numbers.
Swallow (1 south 1st site record for me) Pied Wagtail (1 over near ponds, 3rd site record), Grey Heron (regular in winter but scarce in autumn), 24+ Jays (all over the place), 2 Green Woodpeckers (1 near ponds, 1 at north end), 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers, (mainly around ponds), 3 Nuthatches (2 in gardens, 1 c500m north of ponds), 10+ Goldcrests (mainly around gardens), 1+ Chiffchaff, 1 Kestrel (near ponds), 1 Sparrowhawk (over ponds), 1 Moorhen (ponds), c10 Jackdaws, 2+ Mistle Thrushes, 2 Stock Doves.
So, in summary, an awful lot of patch scarcities but no decent migrants despite 4 hours of almost non-stop thorough watching. I am surprised I didn't have another Buzzard or Peregrine as it looked pretty good for raptors with Gulls circling on thermals. No sign of the Hobbies today... perhaps they've left. I think they probably have as it was a clear, sunny day with a fair number of dragonflies and still no sign...
Showing posts with label Sparrowhawk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sparrowhawk. Show all posts
Saturday, 27 September 2008
Saturday, 13 September 2008
13/09/2008
3 hours from around 2:30pm to 5:30pm gave me the following highlights at the park:
1 Little Owl, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Nuthatch, c8 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, c3 Jackdaws, 1 Moorhen, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, c20 Ring-necked Parakeets.
Directions for anyone interested:
The Little Owl was in the thick young plantation adjacent to the gardens, near the mansion house.
The Kestrel was around the old oaks c200m north of the mansion house along the main concrete path.
The Sparrowhawk flew over the Cheam end car park and appeared to settle in the woods.
The Nuthatch was heard calling near the ponds.
The Green Woodpeckers were as follows: 2 near Cheam end car park, 2 at the first no dogs area near the aviary, 1 at the edge of the woods, 2 at the old oaks c200m north of the mansion house, 1 at the second no dogs area near the south car park. Though some of these could involve the same birds.
The Goldcrest was heard singing around the edge of the gardens from a conifer.
The Coal Tit was calling around the Cheam end car park
The Lesser Black-backed Gull stayed for 3 minutes (4:33pm-4:36pm) at ND2, my 8th record for the site.
The Jackdaws flew over the old oaks c200m north of the mansion house.
The Moorhen was heard amongst the Reeds at the ponds.
The Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling from the area of scrub north of the ponds.
The Ring-necked Parakeets were all over the place.
1 Little Owl, 1 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Nuthatch, c8 Green Woodpeckers, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Coal Tit, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, c3 Jackdaws, 1 Moorhen, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, c20 Ring-necked Parakeets.
Directions for anyone interested:
The Little Owl was in the thick young plantation adjacent to the gardens, near the mansion house.
The Kestrel was around the old oaks c200m north of the mansion house along the main concrete path.
The Sparrowhawk flew over the Cheam end car park and appeared to settle in the woods.
The Nuthatch was heard calling near the ponds.
The Green Woodpeckers were as follows: 2 near Cheam end car park, 2 at the first no dogs area near the aviary, 1 at the edge of the woods, 2 at the old oaks c200m north of the mansion house, 1 at the second no dogs area near the south car park. Though some of these could involve the same birds.
The Goldcrest was heard singing around the edge of the gardens from a conifer.
The Coal Tit was calling around the Cheam end car park
The Lesser Black-backed Gull stayed for 3 minutes (4:33pm-4:36pm) at ND2, my 8th record for the site.
The Jackdaws flew over the old oaks c200m north of the mansion house.
The Moorhen was heard amongst the Reeds at the ponds.
The Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling from the area of scrub north of the ponds.
The Ring-necked Parakeets were all over the place.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
26/8/08
Above: TreecreeperToday's highlights: 1 Treecreeper (my second site record) (c200m north of mansion house), 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls over (my 7th site record), 41 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Kestrels, 2 Sparrowhawks, c5 Stock Doves, 1 Nuthatch, c40 Ring-necked Parakeets, 1 Mistle Thrush, 2 Jays, 3 Green Woodpeckers, c2 Goldcrest.
The Treecreeper was the first I've seen here for a few years and was in a large Tit flock. I guess this species is heavily under recorded at the park and they may well breed but it was a great bird. It froze when I stumbled upon it for the second time and allowed brilliant views.
The Treecreeper was the first I've seen here for a few years and was in a large Tit flock. I guess this species is heavily under recorded at the park and they may well breed but it was a great bird. It froze when I stumbled upon it for the second time and allowed brilliant views.
Thursday, 21 August 2008
21/8/8
Highlights from today: 1 Hobby, 1+ Sparrowhawk, 1 Jay, 4 Stock Doves, c30 Ring-necked Parakeets, c9 Green Woodpeckers, 2+ Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Song Thrushes
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
19/8/08
Above: Green Woodpecker
Above: Black-headed Gull Nonsuch Park 1 unidentified large bird of prey north west over the gardens briefly at 2:18pm, 1 Little Owl near the mansion house, c4 Sparrowhawk (c3 woods bordering Nonsuch and Cheam Park, 1 gardens), c8 Green Woodpecker (gardens, no dogs/picnic areas 1 and 2), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (woods bordering Nonsuch and Cheam Park), 2 Stock Dove (1 Cheam Park, 1 gardens), 2 Jackdaw (Cheam Park), c20 Ring-necked Parakeets (all over), c19 Mistle Thrushes (near mansion house), 1 Goldcrest (gardens), 1 Kestrel (female) (main grassland area), 1 Nuthatch (gardens), 2 Swift (over Cheam Park)
Sunday, 17 August 2008
17th Aug 08
I'm back from France now (report will be on www.southeastbirding.com shortly). And am straight back into local patching. Because I'm writing the report I currently only really have time to give a quick summary of today's birds:
1+ Hobby (flying over), 2 Kestrel, c7 Stock Dove, 1 Moorhen, 1 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron (flying over), 5 Green Woodpecker, 2 Jackdaw, c18 Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Sparrowhawk
Bold = unusual/unseasonal visitor others are seasonal/resident but in low numbers.
1+ Hobby (flying over), 2 Kestrel, c7 Stock Dove, 1 Moorhen, 1 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron (flying over), 5 Green Woodpecker, 2 Jackdaw, c18 Ring-necked Parakeet, 2 Sparrowhawk
Bold = unusual/unseasonal visitor others are seasonal/resident but in low numbers.
Thursday, 31 July 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, 19 July 2008
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.
Monday, 7 April 2008
Nonsuch 30th March 2008
I ended up at Nonsuch again on the 30th and when I set off I didn't know how good it was going to be!
Soon after walking into the woods I spotted a gorious male Sparrowhawk flying into a tree! I have always wanted to see a male perhed and it sat there for about 5 minutes preening.
Another highlight was a Weasel running around at Cheam Park. It kept running in and out of bushes making a 'pssst' noise. There was the usual stuff around the park and the Green Woodpeckers were really noticable as they are starting to breed now.
I had a look for the Little Owl I heard a couple of weeks before but couldn't find it but just as I was making my way to the mansion house to have a snack in the cafe, I heard one in a nearby tree, after looking at all angles for it I eventually spotted it and phoned Phil who was soon on the scene. Before he arrived, the same Sparrowhawk circled low over me. Phil and I continued on together and we saw Goldcrest in the gardens. We were both pleased with the shots that he managed.
I did take photos and I will put them on the blog as soon as I have time.
David
Soon after walking into the woods I spotted a gorious male Sparrowhawk flying into a tree! I have always wanted to see a male perhed and it sat there for about 5 minutes preening.
Another highlight was a Weasel running around at Cheam Park. It kept running in and out of bushes making a 'pssst' noise. There was the usual stuff around the park and the Green Woodpeckers were really noticable as they are starting to breed now.
I had a look for the Little Owl I heard a couple of weeks before but couldn't find it but just as I was making my way to the mansion house to have a snack in the cafe, I heard one in a nearby tree, after looking at all angles for it I eventually spotted it and phoned Phil who was soon on the scene. Before he arrived, the same Sparrowhawk circled low over me. Phil and I continued on together and we saw Goldcrest in the gardens. We were both pleased with the shots that he managed.
I did take photos and I will put them on the blog as soon as I have time.
David
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