Hatchlands Park Walk.

In a month's time I'll be leading a Dawn Chorus walk again for the National Trust at Hatchlands Park so as the park has just reopened to visitors from 10am I took the opportunity yesterday to carry out a reconnoitre by following 'The Long Walk'. 

The sign says 'allow 1.5 hours and stout, waterproof shoes are essential' ... certainly NOT after our long dry spell. At the Ice House I noticed the first small patch of Bluebells coming into bloom. Despite the lack of overhead foliage most of the birding was done by ear. As I passed The Centenary Plantation Chiffchaff and Blackcap were both singing prominently. While seeking out a Mistle Thrush belting out its calls from a very high perch a Common Buzzard appeared high over the treetops and quickly disappeared from view. 

Views across the parkland from the highest point on my walk.

As I entered Little Wix Wood another Blackcap was heard singing from its usual patch of dense shrubbery while Blue and Great Tits flitted about with a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming.

It won't be long before the whole area is carpeted in blue .... so if you live in the south-east UK and want to see Bluebells I wouldn't leave it too long .... like last year the best displays are going to be early unless a really heavy cold snap holds them back.

A brief rest at the Old Barn Information Centre (which is sorely in need of revamping the posters etc.) where I was fortunate to catch a couple of cropped images of a soaring Common Buzzard.

Heading towards the most northernmost boundary the wild flowers provided an alternative medium to photograph (Primroses, Violets and Wood Anemone) while a number of Nuthatches stridently called as they  moved through the trees. I also added Pheasant, Dunnock, Green Woodpecker (heard laughing), Long-tailed Tit plus the usual corvids, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow and Jay and a distant squawk from a Parakeet. Several more Chiffchaffs where located plus a record shot only (see collage below) of a male Blackcap.

Mahonia in full flower certainly brightened up the tree lined pathway before I headed  back into the open to check out the inhabitants of Sheepwash Lake (really only a pond) ... Canada Geese, Mallard, Moorhen and Coot. As I returned towards the car park droplets of water started to fall .... the first rain for such a long, long time but regretfully it didn't amount to much ... hardly dampened the soils surface.    FAB. 

Dawn Chorus at Hatchlands Park.

The alarm kicked off before 4am this morning and during our drive to Hatchlands Park N.T. in the dark we caught snippets of Robin and Blackbird singing plus a Tawny Owl flew directly in front of the car ... was this a good omen for the forthcoming event despite the cold and breezy conditions?

At 5am, with the darkness receding and a gathered throng of 28 including 6 children, Dan (Head Gardener) made the introductions for the Dawn Chorus walk with Great Tit, Blackbird, Robin, Jackdaw, Woodpigeon and a distant calling Cuckoo providing the initial sounds for our ears. Just as I was explaining the reasons for the morning chorus a nearby Wren blasted out its alarm call and behind me a Tawny Owl flew into a tree uttered its 'kewick' call and immediately departed. During the next 30 minutes or so we saw a Common Buzzard and added the sounds of Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Carrion Crow plus Great Spotted Woodpecker knocking; the laughing 'yaffle' of a Green Woodpecker; the high pitched 'zree-zree-zree' of a Goldcrest, our smallest resident species; Chiffchaff singing its name from a very high perch and then the jittery chattering followed by melancholy flute-like notes of a Blackcap who was located deep in cover with a female in close proximity.

 Male Blackcap.

As we crested the highest point in the park the views over the countryside opened up. A pair of Mandarin Ducks were disturbed from their overnight tree roost and promptly flew away. Mallard and Canada Geese were also spotted flying over the park as a Blue Tit constantly flew in and out of a nest hole in the tree above our heads with mouthfuls of caterpillars. Pheasant and Magpie patrolled the fence line of one of the woodlands.

The park is also home to a herd of Dexter cattle. We enjoyed the first of several encounters with this breed which originated from south-west Ireland and are descended from the predominantly black cattle of the early Celts and were introduced to England in 1882.

The breed comes in three colours, predominantly black, but also in red and dun. They are extremely hardy and can live outside all year round. As the smallest British breed of cattle they are very efficient food converters and are a dual purpose breed (milk and meat) with the average weight of a cow being about 300 kgs. and standing approx 36" to 42" at the shoulder. The youngster (bottom left above) is just over a week old and growing fast.

 

Our route took us through Little Wix Wood but as expected the carpet of Bluebells was looking somewhat jaded ... probably at its best some ten days ago but it was nice to get some relief from the strong cold easterly breeze. This link will show the views I saw on the 19 April. The repeated phrases of a Song Thrush emanated from within the shaded woodland.

 Speckled Wood.

 

At the northern most boundary we listened to the scratchy call of a 'Nettle Creeper' - Common Whitethroat and located it as it moved along the hawthorn hedgerow. Despite careful scanning we didn't locate a Treecreeper but heard the 'chuitt - chuitt - chuitt' call of a Nuthatch while a small stream of Long-tailed Tits flitted overhead. Looking out over the nearby farmland also produced a Sparrowhawk flying away and the distant song of a Skylark.

At the pond we added Greylag and Egyptian Goose, Mallard and Moorhen before heading into the courtyard  where Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Pied Wagtail were seen before entering the tea room for a welcome bacon sarnie and a hot drink.

My notes show that 41 species were heard and or seen during our leisurely early morning stroll and back at home we added Hobby, Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel flying over the garden.    FAB.

Bluebells at Hatchlands Park.

If you want to see Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) don't delay a trip out to your favourite woodland location because here in the south-east (UK) they have flowered about two weeks earlier than last year as a result of the warmer, drier weather. 

These shots were taken today at Hatchlands Park N.T. and the display is now at its best. The perfumed fragrance as I entered the wood mid morning during part of my bird walk was absolutely wonderful.  FAB.

 

Gentle Reminder: For anyone wishing to join me on the Dawn Chorus Walk (5am on 1st May) at Hatchlands Park please make sure that you have booked your place by phoning  01483 222482.

Thinking Ahead.

The weather changed back to damp and grey today so I thought I would catch up on some paperwork plus some planning for some bird walks in the Spring. I recently heard from my contacts at Hatchlands (National Trust) and have agreed to lead another 'Dawn Chorus Walk' there on 1st May at 5am. [Click the link above and then 'Events at this property for booking info]. As it has been advertised in their regional newsletter I'm hopeful that a decent number will turn up if only for the bacon sarnies afterwards! Later this month I will start a series of visits there (early am) to see if I can photograph some of the resident species. I have also offered to lead some walks for my ex-RHS colleagues so that should be fun to catch up with them all again. 

I still have some work to do sorting through images I have saved for a couple of future posts but in the meantime I'll leave you with a couple of shots of a brown duck whose partner is much more colourful but I just liked the muted brown shadows cast on the water from the surrounding vegetation which I think compliment this delightful female.

 Tufted Duck (female) - Aythya fuligula

Whatever the weather and wherever you are ... have a fun wildlife watching weekend.  FAB.

Dawn Chorus at Hatchlands Park.

At 5 a.m. a group of twelve stood expectantly in the car park at Hatchlands Park awaiting the arrival of a 5.30 dawn under an overcast sky. Even at this early hour the Blackbird and Robin had already started to announce their presence, very shortly followed by the 'ooo OOO, oo, ooo' of a Woodpigeon and in the distance the very intermitent 'hoooouh' of a Tawny Owl. As the sun arose, but hidden by grey clouds, we commenced our walk and the chorus was soon joined by more Blackbirds, the loud explosive Wrens, Great Tits, the first of many Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff and the repeated 'that's me..that's me..that's me' phrases of the Song Thrush interpersed with the usual squeaks etc.

Song Thrush (Shot last week on a sunny day!)

As we headed over the open parkland a distant Fox stopped then sat down and stared at this group of interlopers from its postion for several minutes before continuing its early morning stroll. The next sounds were the 'tui..tui..tui' call of a Nuthatch and the sharp 'kick..kick' of a Great Spotted Woodpecker who then commenced a short burst of drumming followed by the hoarse call of a cock Pheasant. A pair of Mallard flew over heading for Rookery Pond as the Dexter cattle headed up the slope towards us.

Entering one of the small woods our nostrils were filled with the gorgeous scent of Bluebells totally carpeting the floor around our feet as a well hidden Garden Warbler perched somewhere in the leafy canopy broke into its rapid rippling song. There was little activity at the bird feeders apart from a single Great Tit and a far off Cuckoo calling constantly as we watched a family of Grey Squirrels emerging from their overnight home.

While checking out the sheep in the pasture a Chaffinch was added to the list plus the ever present corvids; Carrion Crows, Rooks, Jackdaw and Magpie. On the homeward leg we heard squawking Parakeets, watched several Long-tailed Tits and a pair of Coal Tits close to their nest hole in one of the many Acacia trees. Just as I mentioned that we hadn't seen or heard a Whitethroat an individual promptly announced its presence with its fast scratchy verse but out of view on the other side of a hedge.

With 27 species logged (a few expected species not seen!) our morning stroll ended with very welcome cup of coffee plus a bacon butty and the forecasted rain had not yet appeared so we counted ourselves very lucky. It is likely that this walk will be repeated next year when hopefully advanced publication of the event will result in a higher attendance. My thanks to Dan and Sue at Hatchlands for organising this walk and inviting me to assist with this trial run.    FAB.

Hatchlands Survey.

This morning Tony joined me for a complete circuit of the 'Long Walk' at Hatchlands Park to record species and possible nesting territories in preparation for a 'Dawn Chorus' walk on 2nd May.

With a clear sky and a little nip in the air we started logging birds both seen and/or heard calling around the car park which included; Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackcap, Chiffchaff (the first of many), Jackdaw, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Wren, Song Thrush, Parakeet, Blue Tit and Great Tit.

Chiffchaff high in the treetops as usual.

Honker taking off.

A scan over towards Rookery Pond produced Mallard and then 'honk, honk' as two Canada Geese swiftly departed. The park is home to a very large population of corvids so Rook, Carrion Crow, Jay and Magpie soon joined the list as well as Pheasant and Woodpigeons when we scanned from one of the high points. A pair of Common Buzzard called and were later seen being mobbed by the corvids. A detour into one of the bluebell woods, its lush green carpet sprinkled with the occasional hint of blue, was eerily quiet until we picked up another male Blackcap in full voice. Around the northern boundary a number of species were also seen carrying nesting material including Chaffinch, Great Tit and a Coal Tit entering its nest hole. A Cuckoo was heard calling north of the railway track (not on Natonal Trust land). A Kestrel made a brief appearance dashing along the field boundary just as we were trying to home onto the very low-pitched, intermittent 'phu' or 'phu-ew' call of a Bullfinch. A flash of a prominent white rump and then a head on view, albeit within deep cover, showing its gorgeous bright-red chest and black cap confirmed our initial ID.  A few moments later we saw both male and female together. Long-tailed Tits, Dunnock and of course Robin were also logged. 

A scan over neighbouring farmland produced several Lapwings, numerous Woodpigeons and beneath my feet was a Comma butterfly looking decidedly tatty. 

At Sheepwash Pond the main occupants were six male Mallards, a Moorhen plus a male Mandarin Duck who didn't wait too long before flying off to join his mate who we had spotted earlier as she flew over the woodland.

Moorhen

At the rear of the main house we added Pied Wagtail to a list that gave us a total of 33 during our two and a half hour stroll with four resident species missing from our previous visit in early February (Egyptian Goose, Treecreeper, Coot and Goldfinch).   FAB.

The Dawn Chorus Walk is on Sunday 2nd May, starting at 4.30 am from the main visitor car park. Cost is £5 per person, including 

bacon butty and tea/coffee at the end. Please book in advance with N.T. Hatchlands - 01483 222482.

Exploring Possibilities

An appointment today, set up by my friend Tony, at Hatchlands Park for an  initial discussion about assisting them to introduce a spring bird walk into their event calendar. Our chat centred mainly around a 'Dawn Chorus' walk which they are very keen to organise. The feedback was very positive and I must now wait to see if the suggested proposals are acceptable. 

Hatchlands is set in the beautiful 430 acre Repton Park, offering a variety of parkland and woodland walks. So after our chat Tony and I took a gentle stroll around the park so that we could explore likely locations for specific species. The predominant species throughout the park were corvids; Carrion Crows, Jackdaws and Magpies plus one sighting of a Jay. Starting from the house we headed off across the very damp grassland towards Rookery Pond where two Mallard quickly took flight as we approached.

An Egyptian Goose strutting ahead of us.

 Friendly encounter with a 'Dexter' at the entrance to Great Wix Wood.

On entering the woodland we saw Song Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Parakeets, Blue and Great Tits everywhere and heard Chaffinch, Great Spotted Woodpeckers plus a Common Buzzard calling overhead.

We stopped briefly at the Old Barn information point where there are a number of feeders but unfortunately they are not regularly refilled so very little activity to observe here today!

Tony's tree top search located Long-Tailed Tits and then Goldfinches high in the oak canopy.

Further along the northern boundary we had good views of several Treecreepers and a Nuthatch.

One of the hard-crafted toadstools alongside the path.

Somewhere to rest awhile?

Heading south-west we stopped at a break in the woodland boundary overlooking open fields and picked up three Common Buzzards circling high in the sky plus masses of Woodpigeons feeding on a crop of maize and then a single Dunnock skulking silently in the hedgerow.

At Sheepwash Lake we caught up with Canada Geese, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Grey Heron (flying away), Green Woodpecker and a Cormorant. A Little Owl is regularly seen in the roadside trees but not visible to us today. The lake is apparently a good spot for a Kingfisher sighting plus Bats feeding on insects at dusk. Navigating around the house, passing the Walled Garden, The Dell and the Ice House got us back to our starting point after a pleasant 1.5 - 2 mile stroll without the need for waterproofs, just wellies to keep our feet dry!

The park has many venerable oaks that provide structure to this landscape as well as a superb habitat for many species. During our exploration we spotted various other habitats that should provide excellent locations for seeing migrant visitors such as Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroats etc. in the spring. I'm looking forward to making some more exploratory visits in the next month or so.   FAB.