Trip reports

A morning in Bushy Park.

Sunday, 6 January 2008

It was good to meet up with the rest of the regular group members for our first outing of the year at the fabulous park land adjacent to Hampton Court. Our enthusiastic leader led the way past the duck feeding area towards the quieter gardens. The lake had the usual bird life, Canada goose, mallard, coot, moorhen and black headed gull. Careful observation detected a lesser black backed gull and a common gull. Other birds that are common in the park are the ring necked parquet, jackdaw, carrion crow and wood pigeon. It was not until we entered the trees that we sighted redwings and a mistle thrush. Inside the gardens smaller birds were present. Blue and great tits were numerous and we also found a nuthatch and a goldcrest. There were also Egyptian geese and mandarin ducks, but like the red-crested pochard found on the ponds, these are captive birds. The quiet water in the gardens is a regular haunt of the kingfisher, who duly appeared on cue just as we arrived, where is posed obligingly. Our walk continued into the wilder parts of the woods where green and greater spotted woodpecker were spotted high up in the trees and a tree creeper gave good views. A chance conversation with some passers-by meant a diversion to the very far corner of the gardens where a tree could be viewed across the stream in a field, where two very contented little owls were basking in the morning sunlight. Pleased with our finds we returned slowly to the car park.