Merry Christmas!

I was in the park on Tuesday (21st) not expecting to spot many birds so I was quite pleased to see 7 species (Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Great Tit, House Sparrow, Magpie, Starling).  Only a couple of most of them, but several Sparrows.

The snow had melted and become a little slushy but the base of it was icy and a little tricky to walk on in places. Keith, the park-keeper, had salted the paths but it hadn't yet made any appreciable effect.

Hilly Fields in melting snow

Over beside the school I spotted a bird box I'd not seen before.  How did I ever miss it?  It's so obvious!

Bird box beside Prendergast

Work had started in ernest at Prendergast and the workers village was being erected by a crane that could be seen, I'm told, a couple of miles away.

Prendergast construction starts

Don't forget, we will once more be taking part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch in Hilly Fields on Saturday 29th January 2011.  I hope to see you there.

With visits to and by family and friends I'm unlikely to be in the park again this year, so
Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year

Nests galore

I haven't found the time to get into the park for two or three weeks, so today's findings quite made up for that.

First I found, in the quiet garden, a pair of Robins feeding a young one on the ground. All three had flown before I could get my camera out.

Next, near the school, I spotted a Mistle Thrush. It flew into a tree, straight to its nest and proceeded to feed its young. There were at least two of them. While watching that, Blue Tits were frequently flying into and out of the same tree. Just the other side to the Mistle Thrush nest was a natural hole in the tree with an occupied nest.

Around the other side of the play area I found one of the nestboxes made by pupils of Prendergast School was occupied by another family of Blue Tits.

Finally I returned to the Mistle thrush nest and managed to get a quick photo there too.

Quite a successful hour.

Bird Boxes

Recently Glendale have been busy in Hilly Fields putting up bird nesting boxes. Late Autumn or early Winter is the best time of year to do this as the boxes will be nicely weathered by the time birds are looking for nest sites in the spring.

They've now installed 11 bird nest boxes in the park, but where are they? Can you spot them all?

Here are photos of three I spotted today when I went to fill the bird feeder.




If you install a bird box in your garden, try to put it where the hot afternoon sun won't find it, such as a shady wall or one that faces north-east.

Feeder with Bling

Friday 26^th October 2007: The first bird is seen on the feeder: it's a Blue Tit. A few days later, another: a Great Tit this time.

Many more birds found the feeder and became regular visitors over the next three months until, on 1^st February 2008, it was stolen. This couldn't have happened at a worse time for the birds, as food is difficult to find at this time of year, and it greatly disappointed a party of local school children who'd come on a special visit that very day just to see the feeder!

So, Glendale now had to get a new feeder and some means to make it more secure. Meanwhile, Gordonbrock students drew several different bird species for the bird champion sign which was soon to be produced and another local school – Prendergast, I think - made 13 bird boxes for the park.

The beginning of April 2008 saw the hanging of the first bird-feeder with bling – a stout and shiny chain to secure it to the tree (see photo). It's a little higher than before so we now have a special extended pole to recover the feeder for refilling.

Early May Chris (RSPB) donated four nest boxes, suitable for House Sparrows or perhaps Blue Tits. He advised us that the boxes are best sited on the North-East quadrant of a tree or building (and out of vandals reach!)

While on an early morning House Sparrow survey Chris saw a Mistle Thrush with nest material in a tree quite close to Wendy's office, just a few yards along and to the right of the path towards the school. Learning this, I ventured into the park a little later and found a pair in the same tree. They were in the same tree the following day too (see photo), but I haven't seen them since. Perhaps they chose a different nesting site.

Chris visited again early June 2008 and donated a bag of seed.