Monthly Bird Walks
The Friends run a fascinating series of two-hour bird-watching walks on the first Sunday of each month, except July to September (when breeding is over and leaf-cover makes bird spotting difficult), and January (when the walk switches to the second Sunday). Led by an experienced member of the local RSPB, the walks are FREE and begin at 10am from the Donnefield Avenue entrance to the Park. No need to book, just turn up and stay as long as you like! The pace is not too fast but comfortable shoes are a must and if you have binoculars, bring them with you.
There’s a wide variety of species to be seen in the Park, including a sizeable colony of Ring–necked Parakeets. These noisy and colourful imports from the Himalayan region of India have colonised areas of the park, particularly the Spinney and can now be seen throughout the Canons Park Estate.
2020 dates:
2 February
1 March
5 April
3 May
7 June
4 October
8 November
6 December
HERE IS THE REPORT FROM THE WALK IN January 2020
(Canons Park)
11 Black-headed Gulls
2 Herring Gulls immatures in flight
Feral Rock Dove – flock over NLCS
2 Stock Dove singing
Wood Pigeon - common
Ring-necked Parakeet - common
Pair Great Spotted Woodpecker male drumming
Green Woodpecker - male singing
Magpie
Jay
Western Jackdaws - flock of c.40 Chestnut Ave
Carrion Crows - common
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
3 Eurasian Nuthatch singing
Wren
Dunnock - singing
4 REDWING (in trees by meet point)
Blackbird
Song Thrush singing
2 Mistle Thrush – pair, male singing
Robin - singing
2 Common Chaffinch - m & f
15 European Goldfinch
Greenfinch - singing
(26 Bird species. Total both sites:34)
Good to hear Greenfinch, Song Thrush & Mistle Thrush singing plus Nuthatches and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker.
(Private) Seven Acre Lake
2 Herring Gull - immatures
2 Common Gull - 1 adult & 1 first winter
45 Black-headed Gull
Mallard pair - 4 m & 3f + 6 distantly in flight
4 Tufted Duck - 2 pairs
6 Common Pochard – 4m & 2f
2 Great Crested Grebe - brief courtship display
6 Cormorant
2 Grey Heron
2 Little Egret
Wood Pigeon
Ring-necked Parakeets
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
6 REDWING in flight west towards NLCS
Robin
(17 Bird species. Total both sites:34)
THE BASIN LAKE, Canons Drive, HA8:
2 Canada Geese
Moorhen
Tufted Duck
