Birds in the park
Do take the time to listen to the bird song and try and identify some of the birds living in the Park. Recently one of the Friends compiled the following list of sightings:
Jay
Nuthatch
Treecreeper
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Black Cap
Greenfinch
Great Tit
Long tailed Tit
Song Thrush
Mistle Thrush
Robin
Blackbird
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Goldfinch
Wren
Jackdaw
Crow
Buzzards
Red Kites
Nuthatch: breeds in most of Europe. It feeds on seeds mostly and is often seen on the trunks of trees “upside down”.
The nuthatch is a distinctive bird with an orange breast, blue-grey wings and compact build. It has a long, powerful beak and a black streak running across its eye. It has a characteristically large head and short tail, and is larger than a robin, but smaller than a blackbird
Treecreeper: is a year round resident in the UK.
These tiny birds live and breathe trees. Spot treecreepers scuttling up branches looking for a tasty morsel to bring to their nests.
Treecreepers are mottled brown in colour, with light streaks and white underparts. Their mottled brown feathers help them to easily blend in with the trees they climb.
They have a white stripe above the eye and a long, thin beak which curves downwards. Their stiff tail is used like an extra limb to help brace against vertical trunks.
Know your woodpeckers. There are 2 species of woodpeckers that have been seen and heard in the Park.
The Green Woodpecker and the Greater Spotted Woodpecker.
Not only do woodpeckers hammer at the soft wood in trees to make a nest, but also drum on harder objects to establish their territory and attract a mate. The Greater Spotted one has a much faster hammer than the Green one so listen out for them and hear the difference