Blackcaps

A pair of Blackcaps today at St Andrews Park - the male did a bit of sub-song. Also a Coal Tit, a few Chaffinches, several Starlings and many Goldfinches seen.

A quick visit to Narroways produced just a few Long-tailed Tits plus Blue and Great Tits and a Jay at stony path. A Marmalade Hoverfly and an Eristalis hoverfly plus several Phaonia flies and an unidentified slug nearby.

Slug

Probable Phaonia fly

A couple of Jays were seen near Fairlawn Road.

Jay

Montpelier Station

A nice selection of birds busy feeding in the trees this morning: a Great Tit (also heard singing), a Blue Tit, a Coal Tit, several Long-tailed Tits and at least 1 Goldcrest. A couple of Chaffinches and a singing Dunnock also nearby plus a Grey Squirrel.

A nest has now been exposed near the footbridge, about 6-8 inches across - Chaffinch/Goldfinch maybe?

Nest

Sparrowhawk

A Sparrowhawk shot through Montpelier Park this morning in dramatic fashion. Nearby at the station the feeders hosted mainly Feral Pigeons, Collared Doves and a couple of Chaffinches.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

The station was very quiet this morning apart from half a dozen Chaffinches and a gaggle of House Sparrows flying around. I was about to give up when a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew into the top of the trees near the footbridge giving fantatsic views! Unfortunately this was the one time I'd forgotten to bring my camera!

St Andrews Park

This morning's walk produced the following birds:

Sparrowhawk - 1 soaring above the park. A fairly large and stocky bird meant that this was likely to have been a female
Chaffinch - a few showed well
Goldfinch - good numbers feeding in the treetops
Starling - several
Woodpigeon - several in the park plus a flock of 30+ flying overhead
Collared Dove - at least 1 seen
Feral Pigeon - several near the café
Robin - good numbers seen and heard
Blackbird - several, mostly males
Blue Tit - mainly heard
Great Tit - several showing well
Herring Gull - 1 or 2 cruising overhead
Carrion Crow - several
Magpie - 1 or 2
House Sparrow - seen in and around the wildlife hedge
Wren - at least 1 heard singing
Dunnock - at least 2 seen and heard

Blackbird

Meanwhile at Montpelier Station soon afterwards another (or the same) Sparrowhawk flew low overhead and appeared to try to land in the trees on the disused platform near the tunnel to the consternation of all the other birds. Not sure whether it flew on or stayed in the trees. Also lots of Long-tailed Tits again and a Chaffinch of note.

Long-tailed Tits

Impressive numbers of Long-tailed Tits were feeding in the trees around the station at lunchtime. There were at least 20. Blue and Great Tits and a Chaffinch were also seen and a Grey Squirrel was on the feeders.

St Andrews Park was full of Goldfinches and a Coal Tit was heard.