St Paul's Park

The park was quiet again this morning, although a couple of Long-tailed Tits gave good views as they fed among the trees with a Blue Tit. Other birds included a Dunnock,  a couple of Robins and 1 or 2 Blackbirds. A very high and distant Siskin was heard calling - my first for ages on the patch - but hardly a satisfying record in the circumstances!

Singing Blackcap

A male Blackcap was singing and showing well this morning at the station.

Montpelier Park

In the park this morning was a Coal Tit, a male Chaffinch, 3 Goldfinches, a Robin, a pair of Blackbirds and a couple of Collared Doves and Woodpigeons. There were also 2 Grey Squirrels but the only flower of note was some Groundsel!

Groundsel

Grey Squirrel

A quick look at the station was rewarded with fleeting views of a Blackcap and a Great Tit near the feeders.

Two Starlings flew over Richmond Road.

St Pauls Park: The Sequel

A return visit to the park produced the usual suspects this morning including a couple of Chaffinches and a mixed flock of Blue and Great Tits plus a Blackbird pair. Flowers included a nice display of Crocuses and some Annual Mercury.

Crocuses

Blackbird

Annual Mercury

St Pauls Park

Not too much to get the pulses racing this morning apart from 4 Greenfinches (some in song) a Goldfinch or 2, a mixed group of Great and Blue Tits, a displaying pair of Collared Doves, 3 or 4 Blackbirds, a Dunnock and Robin and a couple of Woodpigeons. Herring Gulls also in evidence overhead.

Jackdaw

A Jackdaw flew over the station this morning - the first I've seen on the patch for several months. Also a pair of frisky Robins, a singing Dunnock, singing Great Tits and a pair of Magpies nest building.

St Andrews Park

An absolutely beautiful morning and lots of bird activity in the park. The full list:

Redwing - up to 10 birds
Mistle Thrush - at least 2 birds showed well
Jay - 1 or 2 birds gave good views
Long-tailed Tit - a couple
Great Tit - several singing
Blue Tit - more heard than seen
House Sparrow - some chirping near the bowling green
Starling - several birds
Magpie - a few
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 1 overhead
Blackcap - 1 male briefly near the park keeper's compound
Woodpigeon - several
Collared Dove - 2 or 3
Feral Pigeon - 1 or 2
Blackbird - 3 or 4
Robin - a couple
Greenfinch - 3 or 4
Chaffinch - heard singing
Goldfinch - 2 or 3
Wren - 1 heard singing
Carrion Crow - a few including one refurbishing a nest near the Effingham Road entrance.

Meanwhile back in Monty there were a whopping 4 Jays at Fairlawn Road while at the station the highlights were a female Blackcap, a Grey Wagtail and a supporting cast of 2 Starlings and several Chaffinches.

Grey Wagtail

Starling

A Blue Tit was investigating my nestbox (front garden) this morning

Lesser Celandine

At last! Two or 3 rather bedraggled Lesser Celandine flowers near Montpelier Park are my first of the spring and a very welcome sight.

Lesser Celandines

Sparrowhawk

A Sparrowhawk drifted over Richmond Road this morning.

Frisky Dunnocks

In St Paul's Park this morning a pair of displaying Dunnocks were a reminder that spring is just around the corner. Also a couple of Robins, 3 Blackbirds, a Collared Dove and 5 Goldfinches in the park.

Dunnock

Quiet....

One of the least eventful days in living memory on the patch today - just a Blue Tit and Goldfinch at Fairlawn Road and 6 Collared Doves, 3 Great Tits, a couple of Blue Tits, half a dozen Chaffinches, a few Goldfinches and 2 Grey Squirrels at the station.

Blue Tit

Collared Doves

Grey Squirrel