Blogger: Murray Brown, RSPB Volunteer Project Coordinator
Swallows have arrived in the park and are busy feeding over the lake with the occasional house martin. 'Our' swallows winter as far away as South Africa and yet all of a sudden here they are...amazing isn't it? The males look particularly elegant as they sport much longer tail streamers. Strangely no sand martins have been recorded as yet but we've got our eyes peeled.
To the delight of visitors, some of the heron nests now contain sizeable chicks that are easily visible through the telescopes provided by the RSPB. One cheeky pair of mallards has taken over a disused heron nest right in the middle of the colony. They may feel safer there at the moment but the risk is high as ducklings are occasionally taken by grey herons as a natural part of their diet.
There are already a few mallard ducklings on show, especially on the River Ver which runs through the park and it will be interesting to see whether any of the remaining tufted ducks stay to breed. The shoveler duck pair also continues to linger and can usually be found around the north island. However, about ten days ago, Dave, our friendly Park Ranger, pointed out that the pochards had gone. Sure enough, we've not seen one since then. They will be bound for their breeding grounds, perhaps heading as far as Scandinavia or Russia.
Last week I had a call from our very own stalwart volunteer, Barry Tennessee, to say that he was looking at an oystercatcher on the bank of Verulamium Lake. Unfortunately I was in Sussex but Barry knows his waders and I promptly posted the sighting on the Herts Bird Club website, allowing some local birders to come along and see the bird which only stayed for that day. Walking the dog later, I did pick up a cracking jewel of a male firecrest on the South Downs as compensation but to be honest I was pretty miffed to have been 'gripped off' by Barry (as we birders say)! An oystercatcher at the park is very unusual indeed.
Our species list hit 60 on Wednesday when Shaun, the RSPB Membership Development Officer, Barry and I found a male reed bunting on the heron island during a quick walk around the lake after the exhibition trailer had been closed up for the day. We need five more species in (or over) the park to beat last year's 64...your help would be much appreciated, so if you have seen something out of the ordinary then let us know!
Photo Credit: Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
i saw a swallow perched on a telphone wire when i was looking out a bedroom window this was on the first day of spring, the swallow took flight an whizzed past my house and gave my house a glance.