First Post - 2008 So Far

A lot of time to cover seeing as we're going into may in a few days, so a few highlights from the year so far.

Like my most people interested in wildlife, i always have an ear out and an eye open for wildlife, birds especially wherever i am, which certainly pays off now and then.

Highlights start in january, naturally. I happened to find a chiffchaff in a local park which was a winter first for me. Really abundant in the summer but the overwintering ones seem elusive, especially when just milling around in the undergrowth but the sparse low vegetation down by the canal provided good views of it frantically feeding about 6 feet away. I'd paid more attention to the park back then because of a large flock (40+) of redwing that had taken to feeding alongside the resident mistle thrushes for a few weeks back in january/february. Always something to see there, a few starlings (especially during winter) like to feed on the field and around the play area when it's quiet. Black-headed gulls gather during the winter and carrion crows are always about looking fantastic and handsome as do the magpies. The mistle thrushes can be seen seemingly all year round, although all birds are less present in the summer when the park is filled with people obviously. There's an occasional song thrush and a fair few blackbirds here too. good numbers of goldfinches are always present and the patient and observant might see a pied wagtail or two prospecting the paths for morsels. I once saw a green woodpecker over fly the trees along the canal and i suppose the avenue of trees along the canal provides a green corridor as such for species moving around leicester as today's busy, urban birds might be inclined to do. Down on the canal there's always a few mallards, and usually moorhen and coot and not far away on the soar there's a few mute swans and feral geese (canada and greylag) to add to that. a few woodpigeon and feral rock pigeon, blue tits, great tits and a good number of wrens round out the park as a good site for a few urban birds. Aside from this, just up the road I was surprised to see a buzzard circling over De Montfort University campus - one of the birds sometimes seen at Aylestone Meadows I would suppose.

A couple of shots of the Bede Park redwings from January

Apologies for the disorganised nature of that list, might have been nice to give it some kind of taxonomic order i suppose but that's just the way it comes.

Most of my wildlife spotting and general rambling about tends to happen at Aylestone Meadows nature reserve just south of urban Leicester and if you're interested in a good comprehensive guide to what's occuring down there, i'd suggest Mark Andrews' blog (aylestonemeadows.blogspot.com).

A view from the north end of the boardwalk at Aylestone Meadows in February 2008

Just a few shots from Aylestone this, I won't go into detail about all my sightings but it's a great place for some interesting species that have been declining elsewhere.

A showy male reed bunting from the Aylestone boardwalk

A Meadows male bullfinch

A lady reed bunting

One of a group if lesser redpolls that could be found around the north section earlier this year

A surprising highlight from earlier this year was this male stonechat around the long grass meadows on the north section

Looking back, I see Mark Andrews' blog has some more (read: better) pictures of this chap, the bird did make his presence known. Both times i walked up that way on that day, he managed to pop up right next to me, just as curious as me i suppose.

Mallards in flight near the gasworks

A very entertaining crow bashing snail shells on a concrete stump like a song thrush, apologies for the glare.

A sunnier day on the boardwalk
My first 2008 blackcap

This blackcap was regaling me with its song on the walk down to the Meadows and there seems to be a fair few of the commoner warblers on the Grand Central down and linking the two sites, particularly the ubiquitous chiffchaff.

A blurry whitethroat from the Aylestone boardwalk

Mark Andrews' blog seconds my count from thursday morning of ten whitethroat on the north section, really good. A few more blackcap around too. For a more detailed report on the current warbler situation, check him out.

A pair of mistle thrushes on one of the paddocks

The first ducklings I've seen this year

The kingfishers have been quite showy all year but alas no shots worth putting up. Anyway, that's enough Aylestone related rambling, here's just a few more shots from out and about (or in) as the case may be.

A very confiding pair of goosander at Attenborough NR

The same pair feeding

A young female red-crested pochard present at Attenborough earlier this year

I wasn't sure if this was an adult female or a juvenile but the good folk at birdforum cleared this up for me, a little of both.

Adult winter black-headed gull

A male goldeneye

I think that's enough for now. I won't be out much in the next couple of days so this should give me a chance to make a quick post about my trip to Oare Marshes NR in Kent before I have something current to enter.

Thanks for taking a look if you've had a read,
John