Great black-backed gulls and more

There's quite a bit of Aylestone Meadows in this entry, partly becuase it's the only place I've really been in terms of watching the birds recently and partly because the chap that does Aylestone Meadows blog is off halfway round the world in China.

There's been a few great black-backed gulls wheeling over this side of Leicester these past few days at least. I should say I've not been out as much as I should have. A male sparrowhawk has also been very showy this side of Aylestone Meadows, even making one appearance at the junction where the Grand Central path meets Upperton Road being harrassed by a pair of carrion crows. It's precarious business trying to watch a sparrowhawk flapping and gliding right over you while you're also midway across a busy road.

There seems to be a few more jackdaws around Aylestone Meadows, especially on the southern section and aside from that, it's the usual summer visitors that have been around. Hirundines are represented most numerously by swallows of course, but there were a few house martins joining them on both sections. I didn't notice any sand martins so I'd assume most of the birds that were hanging around a while ago have now departed, although I've not had a lot of time to do a really good search around for stuff. Warblers continue to fill both sections with song. Whitethroat are the most obvious and showy on the north section and there are still at least ten holding territory, although it was much quieter thursday so I'll have to check on that situation, although I even saw one along the grand central by the north section. A lesser whitethroat finally showed itself on the southern section in the bushes next to the packhorse bridge aswell. Also representing the Sylvia warblers, a fair few blackcaps have been singing away on the north section and along the grand central path. No sign of the garden warbler by the carpark that was mentioned on Mark Andrew's blog earlier. Several chiffchaffs are singing away with one strange, stuttery individual heard from the path just south of the boardwalk (not an Iberian I'm afraid). Willow warblers have been less obvious. Not managed to get down past King's Lock recently so it will be good to hopefully go for a more extended trek on a sunny day. A few reed buntings can be seen along the boardwalk calling and singing, especially towards the end of the day (or in the morning i suppose if you're that way inclined), moustaches in full glory. As usual, the resident thrushes are all in full song.

Woodpeckers are calling all over the place, green and great spotted calling and the latter drumming on trees and telegraph poles. Swifts are evident in reasonable numbers, especially over the north section where they are joined over the meadows by a few of the aforementioned house martins. An interesting little drake mallard is also something I've not noticed before, a bit smaller than the others with a neat little bill as opposed to the longer dabbling bill of his peers. A friend of mine has affectionately termed him 'Beaky'.

Aside from birds, life on the Meadows has also been supplemented by the odd barbeque (sometimes left unattended), kids and recently finished students have a splash in the river and of course, the local fishing crowd.

Not a very good post i'm afraid, but hopefully this week i'll spend a good several hours trudging about and unearth a few more visitors (not the wrong sort I hope!).

On a (pseudo)philosphical note, i was considering that Leicester city centre could benefit from a pair of peregrines, there's enough to eat. It's only a matter of time hopefully.