A huge 223 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls & 23 Herring Gulls at the back of the horse fields next to Douglas Park at the moment, probably from the tip nearby. Hard to scan for anything rarer due to trees blocking the way.
Currently well over 20 species here at Douglas Park.
Regular sightings of Greenfinch and Chaffinch Kestrels in the fields Swallows and House Martins over fields Occasional Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler Large colony of House Sparrows (3 Nests) Starlings (3 Nests)
A full tour inspecting possible breeding birds produced lots of the usuals but nothing unexpected.
8 Starlings are all breeding birds. 11 House Sparrows with two nests already being made. A pair of Chaffinches are still round. A pair of Goldfinches were collecting twigs. A pair of Woodpigeons were together in a tree. The Carrion Crows have moved nests to the largest tree after last years nest was chopped down and they seem to be sitting on eggs at the moment. A single Collared Dove was in an Ivy covered bush, but the pair have not been seen together recently. 2 Robins are present but at other ends of the park. Only 1 Blue Tit, 1 Dunnock and 1 Wren - all singing A total of 9 Blackbirds - 7 Males (3 Singing) and 2 Females.
The only remaining birds on the fields were: 42 Starlings 12 Black-Headed Gulls 1 Herring Gull 4 Jackdaws
Late news from yesterday when a large mixed Gull flock landed on the field for most of the afternoon. They must have arrived from the nearby tip. The flock consisted of: 37 Black-Headed Gulls 32 Herring Gulls 16 Lesser Black-Backed Gulls 3 Common Gulls plus 40+ Starlings and 25 Jackdaws mixed in with them.
A new record of 52 Jackdaws on the main field. Also, 18 Woodpigeons, 3 Pied Wagtails, 1 Lesser Black-Backed Gull, 23 Black-Headed Gulls, 4 Carrion Crows and the stars 2 Mallards (male and female) on a small patch of flooded grass. On the park, the male Chaffinch is still singing with 2 Robins, 7 Blackbirds, 20+ Starlings, a few Woodpigeons, 1 Dunnock and a Collared Dove for company.
Late news from yesterday evening but at 5:30pm 98 Starlings performed their aerobatic display before roosting in a tree next to the field. I thought the roost would have stopped by now but there are still over 40 birds each night.
Thought I should give this site its own topic as the area is quite busy at the moment. It is basically a large area of fields used for horse grazing with a small area of parkland with about twenty mature trees and bushes.
A visit from 3:15pm - 3:40pm produced the following:
42 Jackdaws (possibly more, its hard to count them unless their in the air - all were on the main front field) 13 Woodpigeons (feeding with the latter, very well camouflaged) 3 Pied Wagtails (the winter flock of about twenty has dwindled as they disperse to breed) 12 Feral Pigeons (on the houses that surround the park) 1 Male Chaffinch (on the park) 28 Black-Headed Gulls (also on the field) 1 Lesser Black-Backed Gull (ordering the previous about) Blackbirds, Robins and Dunnocks all singing from the park
