Stanley Park 9
Tags blackcap, blackpool, stanley park, treecreeper
I was stuck in the house this morning for reasons beyond my control and had to put off a planned trip to Marshside.
Not wanting to be stuck in all day, I made a quick trip to my local park instead, in the afternoon when my time was my own again.
It was a beautiful spring afternoon, sunny but not too warm, with a few families out on the lake in the bright red motor boats for hire and hoardes of babies in pushchairs with doting Mum's & Dad's.
I spent a couple of hours walking around the lake and the woodland areas and saw all of the usual suspects.
The highlights of the walk was a singing male Blackcap that I had good views of. They breed in the park, but this is the first time I have positively seen one there.
On my way home I saw some little blobs right out in the middle of the lake and was delighted when I lifted my bins to see a Great Crested Grebe feeding four chicks.
The adult was continuously diving and surfaced with three small fish that he/she fed to the chicks within the 15 minutes I was watching them.
There were four Grey Heron chicks in one of the nests - I could only get a photo of the backs of their heads though! There was plenty of cute Mallard, Canada Geese and Coot chicks too.
My sightings for the walk were:
Blackbird
Robin
Starling
House Sparrow
Great tit
Blue tit
Magpie
Pigeon
Woodpigeon
Great Crested Grebe
Coot
Moorhen
Mallard
Canada Geese
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Black Headed Gull
Herring Gull
Wren
Blackcap
Grey Heron
Treecreeper
Mute Swan
Carrion Crow
Not wanting to be stuck in all day, I made a quick trip to my local park instead, in the afternoon when my time was my own again.
It was a beautiful spring afternoon, sunny but not too warm, with a few families out on the lake in the bright red motor boats for hire and hoardes of babies in pushchairs with doting Mum's & Dad's.
I spent a couple of hours walking around the lake and the woodland areas and saw all of the usual suspects.
The highlights of the walk was a singing male Blackcap that I had good views of. They breed in the park, but this is the first time I have positively seen one there.
On my way home I saw some little blobs right out in the middle of the lake and was delighted when I lifted my bins to see a Great Crested Grebe feeding four chicks.
The adult was continuously diving and surfaced with three small fish that he/she fed to the chicks within the 15 minutes I was watching them.
There were four Grey Heron chicks in one of the nests - I could only get a photo of the backs of their heads though! There was plenty of cute Mallard, Canada Geese and Coot chicks too.
My sightings for the walk were:
Blackbird
Robin
Starling
House Sparrow
Great tit
Blue tit
Magpie
Pigeon
Woodpigeon
Great Crested Grebe
Coot
Moorhen
Mallard
Canada Geese
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Black Headed Gull
Herring Gull
Wren
Blackcap
Grey Heron
Treecreeper
Mute Swan
Carrion Crow
Total Comments 6
Comments
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There was a Wood Warbler reported singing somewhere in Stanley Park this week Alan. An unmistakable song if you've heard it before, and one you never forget brilliant. My personal favorite warbler song.
Posted 13-05-10 at 08:50 PM by JONNY74
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Thanks for that Jonny.
I think I may have heard it, but had no idea what it was. It's only after reading your post that I've checked out the call and it definitely sounds like what I heard. Unfortunately I'm back in work again until next week, but I'll definitely go back and see if I can hear it again or better still see it.Posted 13-05-10 at 09:03 PM by alanjns
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Good luck.Posted 13-05-10 at 09:33 PM by JONNY74
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Blackcaps have a wonderful melodious warble don't they!
A nice list for a few hours Alan.....I could just about read it!!!!!
Posted 14-05-10 at 08:15 AM by Twitcheruth
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Great day out there Alan............ Nice comprehensive listPosted 14-05-10 at 11:30 AM by Winterkoning
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Lol - I see what you mean Ruth!! I have my pc screen at 150% magnification so it looked fine to me!! Just returned to 100% and needed a magnifying glass - I've increased the font size
Posted 14-05-10 at 02:47 PM by alanjns
