Alexandra Park. Shoveler the other day - no sign today, but the Cormorants still come. 7 at 10:45 this morning. All out of the water, wing-drying on branches near the Kids' Playground.
-- Edited by Copland Smith on Friday 8th of December 2023 03:39:51 PM
At 10 am, thanks to the ice I assume, there were no Cormorants for the first day since 1 Nov. There were 4 Shoveler and a lot of ducks and geese crowding the small uniced areas.
Keep spotting the Great Cormorant's, saw 5 of them yesterday around 3pm. I also saw 2 great spotted woodpeckers in a tree just across the street from the park on Mayfield Road.
-- Edited by yuliababiarz on Thursday 30th of November 2023 07:49:50 PM
At 11 today, there were 5 cormorants hunting in the north pool and three more in the south. Pair of shoveller. No goosander, maybe because all the cormorants are out-competing them for the fish. This one has a roach.
Sorry I couldn't report earlier, but it was a busy lake in the Park this morning as I passed through, without bins. 10 cormorants,2 goosander (redhead) and a pair of shoveler. Plus the usual - 1 heron, canada geese, mallards, tufted ducks, moorhens, coots, black-headedd gulls. And the mute swan, still solitary.
This morning I saw what I thought was a young cormorant on the lake ... (I am not very good with colours) - but looking at the pictures on the Sale water park entry - I think it was the shag.
Cormorant are not unusual here. I saw a juvenile here on the 10th Oct and 9 nearby at Platt Fields Park on the 27th, the day Sale WP was found when there were only 5 there. As for colour, check for the yellow legs. You never know ...
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This morning I saw what I thought was a young cormorant on the lake ... (I am not very good with colours) - but looking at the pictures on the Sale water park entry - I think it was the shag.
No more Avian Flu fatalities that I've seen. The now widower, Mute Swan 4CLX, is still on the lake alone, but has been wing-flapping very vigorously for the past week or so. I expect he'll be off on a hunt for a mate in the near future. Not much Heron activity yet. Just had a bit of a recce.
Gary Parkinson saw another Canada goose corpse on Sat 28 Jan. I found a dead Coot on Sun 29 Jan. Both in the western channel - goose under the edge of the island; Coot against the fence.
Shoveler 1 drake Tufted Duck 36 Sparrowhawk male (two sightings) Ring-necked Parakeet minimum of 280 in the pre-roost at dusk. All had departed by 17.00
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Returning from a few days away, I found 1 Mute swan dead in west channel of the lake in Alexandra Park M16 8PJ, on the side nearest Alexandra Road South. The other member of the pair (female?) is still ok on Saturday 24th. Canada Goose corpse at the north end of the lake.
Sun 25 Dec 2022 Christmas Day
The usual Coot, Moorhen, Black-headed gulls, Mallard, Canada geese, Tufted ducks, plus at least 3 visiting Shovelers (m m f) and the surviving Mute Swan. The corpse of the other has sunk below the surface, but can be seen in the western channel (Alexandra Rd S side) under the island's overhanging bushes.
-- Edited by Copland Smith on Sunday 25th of December 2022 11:06:09 AM
12 Shoveler, 0 Goosander this morning, and I didn't see any Teal. Over 50% iced over. The dead Canada Goose reported on the Thu 1 Dec wasn't removed until Tue 6, during which time both Mute Swans were seen feeding on the corpse, taking advantage of the Crow and Magpie damage to obtain useful protein. I hope they didn't also acquire the virus. They looked fine this morning.
I am not so sure...but I think there was a Sandpiper pottering about near the lake's overflow. Friday morning 9:10. (New here and not sure such unclear identifications are so welcome)
Common Sandpiper still present this afternoon. Good spot Nick.
I am not so sure...but I think there was a Sandpiper pottering about near the lake's overflow. Friday morning 9:10. (New here and not sure such unclear identifications are so welcome)
Couple of hours to Alex Park with a friend so mainly for socialising! But still a pleasant spot and highlights were...
1 very bold wren who came really close
3 treeceeeper
1 or 2 nuthatch heard
2 song thrush
1 grey wagtail
4 ring necked parakeet
And some time spent watching the heronry...4 adults and one juvenile in the nest. The adults were very noisy
Usual water birds - no Shovelers. Young Mute swan pair at nest on island, female hunkered down on it. 2 of the 4 Heron nests are occupied. Heron sitting in the SE one and there has been activity around the north nest. Although the high south nest was explored in late December and in January, there's no sign of occupancy there. Nuthatches and Parakeets noisy.
Pair of shovelers with the regulars on the pond again this lunchtime. No sign of any herons yet. Great spotted woodpecker showing well in the trees in the open parkland.Thee ring-necked parakeets are bickering about best holes at the Claremont Road end.
Male shoveler joined by a female today. All the usuals, plus 3 Mistle thrush on the cricket field. I didn't see any Redwing today, or Herons. A Woodpigeon was sitting in the highest Heron nest.
Chiffchaff 1 ranging widely in the tops of mature trees along the avenue south of the tennis courts Goldcrest 3 Treecreeper 1 Redwing 60+ Tufted Duck 42
-- Edited by Pete Hines on Friday 24th of December 2021 07:34:16 PM