Figgate Park

We went along to Figgate Park today, which is a small park with a stream and a pond and some trees. We were delighted by the number of birds we saw there. Figgate Pond often attracts unusual ducks and today was no exception, we got lovely views of the handsome male shoveller

 

and three male gadwalls, two of which are seen below with a coot. The male gadwall is an understated, elegant duck and this is the first time I've had a really good view. The female gadwall looks like a small female mallard.

Thanks to Crafty Green Boyfriend for the photos!

This weekend is the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. As we don't have a garden (well we theoretically have part share in a garden, but there's nowhere in it to sit and observe birds without drawing the attention of one of our neighbours and his dogs and it's not visible from our flat so its far from ideal for the garden birdwatch) we did our Big Garden Birdwatch informally at Figgate Park. As well as the shoveller, gadwall and coot, we also saw:

woodpigeons; magpies; long tailed tits: great tits: blue tits: robins: blackbirds; treecreeper; moorhens; black headed gulls; feral pigeons; mallards; Canada Geese; greylag goose: tufted ducks; mute swans: grey heron; dipper; fieldfare and mistle thrushes.

If you're in the UK, you still have time to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend! You can also take part in Birdtrack, which allows you to record all the birds you see.

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and my haiku on Daily Haiku today is here. 

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