We paid another visit to Kingsbury Water Park yesterday - it was cold and gloomy but I managed to add 15 bird species to the 2018 year list.
A map of the whole Water Park (even if you enlarge the photo I suspect most will be unreadable) but
this is a close-up of the area we concentrated on.
We parked in the small car park by Broomeycroft Pool (which is the quieter area of the park from memory).
There were a lot of Canada Geese and Black-headed Gulls about and many Coot and Mallard on the pools along with some Tufted Duck, Pochard and Shoveler.
Coot
Cliff Pool
A shame about the plastic bag :(
This is the view from Dad's memorial bench - he and mum used to visit the Water Park several times a week.
At this point I suddenly realised that the path we had taken was the same one as last time which led us to the more popular part of the park with playground, train and visitor centre so I managed to persuade the rest of the family to re-trace our steps and take the path to the left which I was sure led to the nature reserve part of the water park.
I was right!! :)
It was quieter in this area and there is a nice circular walk from the car park which goes round Broomey Croft Pool.
I watched several parties of Long-tailed Tits (by this time the rest of the family had shot off ahead and there was no sign of them - even D had disappeared with them as he hadn't taken the other camera and was not prepared to dawdle!) and this pair of Mute Swans.
Fresh growth - Speedwell leaves? - I really am not good at identifying plants from leaves alone.
A lone Great Crested Grebe - still in Winter plumage.
Birmingham and Fazeley Canal - if you turn right here you can follow the canal and it soon reaches RSPB Middleton Lakes NR.
Alder cones and catkins
Hazel Catkins (Lambs' Tails)
Finally, back to the car park where Timothy posed for a photo.
B was waiting for me - D and E had gone ahead to the tea-room. We watched the feeders for a while - plenty of Great and Blue Tits, Dunnocks, Chaffinches, Coot, Moorhen, Dunnock, Greenfinches, Pied Wagtails and a Great Spotted Woodpecker although we didn't see the Nuthatch E had spotted. We did see a Treecreeper though - no photos.
Canada Geese
Off to the Granary Tea Room (somehow managed to chop the top of the roof off!) for
hot chocolate and cake!
List of Species Seen
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Dunnock
Blackbird
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Chaffinch
Robin
Coot
Mute Swan
Black-headed Gull
Canada Goose
Mallard
Moorhen
Great Crested Grebe
Pochard
Greenfinch
Treecreeper
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Pied Wagtail
Tufted Duck
Garden Birds
So far, 2018 has been very good for garden birds. As well as the more usual and common species, a Grey Heron visited the pond twice last week. The Ring-necked Parakeets were absent for the first week of the New Year but then returned and visited the feeders every day last week.
The two other highlights have been a Fieldfare bathing in the garden pond
and this week a male Blackcap has been visiting the feeders.
It looks like a lovely walk. How wonderful to have a Blackcap in your garden :-)
ReplyDeleteCherryPie - Thank you - yes really pleased about the Blackcap :)
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to have the memorial bench :)It looks like a nice place to walk and clearly good for the birds! I am a little jealous of your garden birds, the Fieldfare photo is great!
ReplyDeleteI have been having a little trouble gewtting a box up - so hope this is the box linked to the post I have just read! Happy new year, RR, and what a lovely and very special view from the bench. The water park seems to be a wonderful place, and Timothy looks magnificent in his multi-coloured suit! I want to come back to your book post... looks like there are some excellent suggestions there. I have read 'The Moth Snowstorm'... I was expecting more on moths when I bought it, but was very caught up in the ecological ideas and with the ways in which nature can be so restorative.
ReplyDeletePam - Thank you. Mum and Dad used to go to Kingsbury Water Park a lot after they retired and Mum decided she wanted a bench placed there which as you say is a lovely idea.
ReplyDeleteDoing unusually well for garden birds so far this year!
Caroline Gill Thank you - I think your comment has popped up in the right box for the right post :) I enjoyed the Moth Snowstorm but like you thought it would have more on moths but all round it was an excellent and moving book although so depressing to read in one place all the declines in wildlife :(
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you too :)
Lovely and unusual garden visitors. The walk you took looks wonderful but very cold. You saw a great selection of birds on your walk and it's always good to have tea and cake afterwards. We saw some hazel catkins at the side of the Cromford Canal the other day and loads of Grebes on Rudyard Lake today:)
ReplyDeleteRosie - Thanks so much. Yes, it was perishing on that walk! but good to see a nice selection of birds. Ooh! Cromford Canal - I think I have mentioned to you before it is on my list of places to visit (water voles!) and good news about so many grebes :)
ReplyDeleteLooks to be another delightful plce to visit with plenty to observe.
ReplyDeleteMidmarsh John - Thank you. Would like to go back during the week when it might be quieter :)
ReplyDeleteOh how lovely to read your birding list and great garden birds too. They do seem to be quite active here too as this morning whilst walking Harry we commented on how much bird song there was.
ReplyDeleteWhat a good total of birds, I wish I could see that many. Though the other day we were driving around Oxfordshire and saw lots of lambs and they were mostly black, so sweet to see. We then saw a field full of Lapwings and Redwings, it was stunning to see.
ReplyDeleteSeagullSuzie - Thank you. We do seem to be getting far more visits than usual to the feeders - must be the cold weather!
ReplyDeleteToffeeapple - Thank you. Really envious of your lamb sightings - not seen any yet this year and the field full of Lapwings and Redwings must have been a wonderful sight :)