St Andrews Park

Another beautiful sunny day and spring was very much in the air. The following birds were noted:
House Sparrow - mainly seen near the pond
Robin - a few including one giving close views near the bowling green
Blackbird - several feeding on the grass and heard singing
Mistle Thrush - 3 including (presumably) 2 males contesting territory
Blue Tit - a couple heard
Great Tit - 1 or 2
Chaffinch - 1 or 2
Goldfinch - a few
Greenfinch - heard singing and a couple seen
Magpie - several including nest-building near the pond
Dunnock - 1 singing near pond/bowling green
Starling - about 10 seen
Redwing - still hanging on...about 8 birds
Woodpigeon - several
Collared Dove - a few
Feral Pigeon - a few seen
Carrion Crow - 1 or 2
Wren - 1 heard near the pond
Herring Gull - 1 drifted over
Black-headed Gull - 1 flew over the bowling green
Raven - a probable bird flying just beyond the bowling green

Robin

At Montpelier Station a Common Buzzard flew over, mobbed by Carrion Crows. Also at the station was a singing Blackcap and some butterflies - a Brimstone, a Small Tortoiseshell and a 'white' butterfly which was likely to be either Small White or Green-veined White.

At Fairlawn Road some Common Field Speedwell was in flower. Nearby a Melanostoma sp. hoverfly was feeding on a dandelion and a Crab Spider Misumena vatia was eating a fly!

Crab Spider and lunch

Melanostoma hoverfly

Common Field Speedwell