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Friends of Langley Park

Snow at Langley Park - April 2008

Birdwatch Walk with Robin Dryden

On the morning of Saturday 26^th January 2008 the Friends arranged a guided Birdwatch around Langley Park led by local expert Robin Dryden. The walk was timed to coincide with the RSPB census weekend and also helped with one of the Heritage Lottery bid requirements to monitor bird populations before and after the project work in the park.

A dozen enthusiasts enjoyed some glorious weather and were treated to some fantastic displays by our avian friends in and around the woodland, parkland, orchards, horse-fields and the lake. In total we watched more than 30 different species of bird including various varieties of finches, thrushes and titmice which you expect to see on every visit to the park. Some of the more unusual sights included Wrens, Woodpeckers, Jackdaws, giant flocks (literally hundreds) of Redwing and Fieldfares, a Treecreeper, a pair of Egyptian Geese, a Goldcrest and a cock Pheasant

Highlights of the walk included several minutes studying a pair of Sparrowhawks in both aerial display and perched high up in an old oak tree. The female was noticeably larger than the male which is the norm for most birds of prey.

Around the lake there were unprecedented numbers of seagulls including Lesser black backed, Black-headed, Common, Herring and Yellowlegged gulls. Two cormorants were seen diving for fish and a rare sighting of a pair of Goosanders which can normally only be found in Scandinavia or Siberia.

A large number of ducks and geese were seen feeding on the lake including Coot, Moorhen, Pochard, Tufted, Mallard and Shoveller. Robin explained that some ducks are vegetarian, some eat fish, some eat mussels from the bottom of the lake, and others sift tiny water creatures through their beaks. In this way one stretch of water can support many different types of waterfowl without them having to compete with each another. We found some empty mussel shells on the bank and we now know why they are there. Some of the group saw the stunning flash of blue and orange as a Kingfisher darted along the waters edge. Too quick for me unfortunately!

Another extended observation was of a pair of Ring-necked Parakeets nesting in an oak tree by the embankment on the south edge of the park. These recent invaders are spectacular to watch and with their bright colours and strident calls they are unmistakable. One of the reasons they are doing so well is that they breed all year round as long as they have food. With the abundance of buds and seeds the park provides their numbers are rising rapidly, arguably to the detriment of our resident hole nesters.

What didn’t we see! I was hoping to see the pair of Bullfinches which have chosen Temple Gardens as their patch, probably because of the flowering fruit trees in the open spaces behind the old temple base. Other birds which can usually be found in this area include a Mistle Thrush proclaiming its territory from the highest bough and Nuthatches busily investigating the cracks and crevices of the larger and older trees. None of these regulars appeared on the day!

…and the final bird we didn’t see? A Buzzard, spotted by the Rangers earlier in the day and joyfully mentioned as they bumped into us part way around the walk. Oh well, you can’t win them all – there is always another day.

Note from Robin Dryden - 4 February 2008

Just a note to let you know that the Red Admiral we saw on our walk was the first butterfly of the year in the Upper Thames region (Berks, Bucks & Oxon).

The Egyptian Geese at Whiteknights lake in Reading hatched their first gosling yesterday so keep an eye out on the lake over the next few days...

Christmas Wreath Making

We had a lovely time making Christmas wreaths out of the natural resources in the park, including holly, ivy, willow, etc.