St Andrews Park

A brief visit on the way to the shops, and the blustery conditions were not conducive to birdwatching!  Despite that, there was a single Redwing, a couple of Carrion Crows, a Blackbird, several Goldfinches and a couple of Woodpigeons.

Harry saw 4 Coal Tits together in garden in Windsor Rd St Andrews at 1300 yesterday.

Narroways

This morning, the Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen again, this time in Simons Grove - flew into a tree briefly. Also several Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits in the same area. Greenfinches over the cutting and along stony path, lots of Goldfinches and a few Chaffinches in the latter location. Ridiculously tame Robin near Boiling Wells. Winter Heliotrope coming into flower along the Ashley Vale path.

Winter Heliotrope

Robin

Montpelier Station

Birds of note this morning at the station were a Long-tailed Tit, a Coal Tit, a Goldcrest and a fly-over Jackdaw.

St Andrews Park

The first Redwings of the winter were seen in the park this morning - I reckon about half a dozen. Also a female Blackcap, 15 Goldfinches, a few Chaffinches, a Greenfinch, an influx of Blackbirds, a Jay, 10 plus Starlings and a few Blue and Great Tits.

Redwing

Blackbird

Non-bird inhabitants included a Grey Squirrel and a late Honey Bee. I was able to watch the release of a trapped House Mouse into the wild courtesy of Jo Corke!

Honey Bee

House Mouse

Grey Squirrel

Another Great Spotted Woodpecker!

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was at the station this morning before flying towards Cromwell Road and away. It might just be the same bird I saw in Narroways yesterday and Montpelier a few days ago, but I don't know why they always seem to turn up at this time of year on the patch. Also a few Chaffinches around.

The sunshine was strong enough to bring out some more wasps and a Plume Moth, despite the chilly wind.

Plume Moth

Common Wasp

Narroways

This morning on the reserve: Great Spotted Woodpecker - one calling near the brook and the same or another seen at the community garden, 3 Linnets flying south near brook, 1 Jay at church field, Along stony path there were a couple of trees with c15 Long-tailed Tits, a couple of Great and Blue Tits, a Coal Tit and a Goldcrest plus a party of Goldfinches feeding on Beech Mast. 5 Chaffinches nearby, Grey Wagtail over cutting. c30 Woodpigeons over Ashley Hill end of stony path. Magpies, Wrens and Blackbirds in good numbers with one of the latter sub-singing.

Several toadstools I am told might be Volvariella sp. on church field. A Scathophaga sp. fly (alive) on the church field plus a dead fly attacked by a fungus, probably Entomophthora muscae. Common Wasp along the stony path near some ivy flowers.

Volvariella sp.

Fly infested with fungus

Long-tailed Tit

Magpie

Scathophaga

Chaffinch

In Fairlawn Road there were a few Great and Blue Tits and I noted Holly in flower.

Great Tit

Holly Flowers

 

Grey Wagtail

A Grey Wagtail was flying around the rooftops in Picton Street this afternoon.

Montpelier Station

The sun actually came out while I waited for my train to work and there were several Common Wasps around the ivy flowers. The bird feeders attracted a couple of Chaffinches (including a very handsome male), a Robin, some House Sparrows and a Blue Tit. A Dunnock was heard nearby.

Common Wasps

Another Sparrowhawk

A Sparrowhawk drifted over the allotment gardens near the station this morning. Nearby, a probable Redwing flew over the station and a few Chaffinches were flying around.

Montpelier Park

Almost birdless apart from a Great Tit, a Wren and a Chaffinch this morning. Sunshine enticed some flies to appear however.

A couple of flies

St Andrews Park bird walk

Well, we turned up but the birds didn't! We finished with one of the lowest bird counts ever, but luckily we had both fungi and invertebrate experts among our number so there was something else to look at. The complete list, for what it's worth:
Woodpigeon - very hard to find until the end of the walk when a few were seen
Feral Pigeon - several seen
Magpie - one or two
Crow - a couple
Jay - one near the pond
Wren - one heard near the children's play area
Blue Tit - one near the pond
Great Tit - one near the toilets
Goldfinch - three or four fly-over birds
Herring Gull - a couple drifting overhead
Pied Wagtail - heard several times
Starling - just one!
Blackbird - not sure it counts as it was heard half an hour after the walk finished!

The fungi included Exidia nucleata, Bjerkandera adusta and Exidia glandulosa.

Bjerkandera adusta

There were also several tiny Millipedes.

Millipedes

Another Coal Tit and a Great Tit in the garden today.

Sparrowhawk

Despite the rain, a Sparrowhawk flew past the window this morning - possibly in hunting mode. Nearby in a soggy St Andrews Park there were 4 Starlings, a Herring Gull, a couple of Goldfinches and a group of Woodpigeons, at least one of which was a juvenile.


Juvenile Woodpigeon

In the last day or two in the garden area there have been 2 Coal Tits on a neighbour's feeders.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

A Great Spotted Woodpecker called a couple of times from the direction of the park (although I gave the park a once-over, I didn't hear it until I got to the station). The early sunshine brought out some Common Wasps nectaring on ivy flowers in the station.

Common Wasp

Montpelier Park

Not much to write home about this morning - a couple of Pied Wagtails, a Dunnock, a Robin, a Wren, a Chaffinch, a couple of Blackbirds and a Woodpigeon or two. A Grey Squirrel was carrying nesting material.