A long and busy but enjoyable day saw me start by meeting up with Bill H and co for another session of
Coot ringing at St. James's Park. This session wasn't as productive as last time but we did still catch four birds. A couple of
Little Grebes, a
Nuthatch and two
Coal Tits were probably the most notable wild birds noted but it was entertaining hand-feeding drake Smew and Hooded Merganser! Later on I met Christian and Josiah C for a chilled walk around Nonsuch Park, highlights being interacting female
Sparrowhawks and courting
Green Woodpeckers; with this breeding behaviour and the gentle conditions it really felt like spring! We reconvened at Beddington later, racking up five
Green Sandpipers and a
Water Pipit in the Southeast Corner, along with a handful of
Snipe and two
Shelducks, plus a fly-over
Red Kite, a
Buzzard, two
Cetti's Warblers and small numbers of
Fieldfares and
Redwings. It was a joy to see and hear displaying
Lapwings, too. We joined Tomos B, Koje and Ms Koje for an owling session, resulting in a magical twilight encounter with two
Barn Owls, a memborable end to the day!
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| Rose-ringed Parakeet at Nonsuch Park |
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| Green Sandpipers at Beddington Farmlands |
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| Redwing at Beddington Farmlands |
