Cassiobury Park - 29.6.11

The first bird of note of the day was the first returning Black-Headed Gull that flew over the tennis courts. The Mistle Thrushes had dropped to 2 birds and a non avian highlight was 2 Silver-Washed Frtillaries, 1 in the council yard feeding on nettle flowers and another that flew West over the sports area. Only my 2nd and 3rd record of this species anywhere!

500th Post - 27.6.11

Well 500 down and heres to the next 500! It's amazing how the weather can change in 24 hours. After yesterdays heat today was muggy and very stormy. After the last storm had past I counted a group of 8 Mistle Thrushes near the paddling pools. There was also a flock of 40 Starlings mainly juvs on the tennis courts this morning.

Scorchio!! - 26.6.11

Well the hottest day in 5 years made work harder than usual. There were no good birds seen until I went to close the loos at 2.30pm when a Buzzard was seen thermalling over the woods.

Cassiobury Park - 24.6.11

Another or the same Hobby was reported to the Herts bird club website (www.hnhs.org/birds) and that was about it other than the odd singing Chiffchaff and Blackcap.

B.O.P - 23.6.11

Only 2 birds of note today and both birds of prey. At 8.10am I heard the alarm call of House Martins above the paddling pools. I looked up expecting to see a Sparrowhawk but I was pleased to see a Hobby fly through before swooping down into the woods just South of the meadow. In the afternoon I was down at KGV playing fields preparing the cricket for the weekend. Another alarm call this time from a Herring Gull and up in the sky was a Red Kite being mobbed.

Cassiobury Park - 22.6.11

A very quiet day only got quieter once the rain had started! 2 juv Carrion Crows were being fed by their parents near the bowling green (never seem to get a White-Throated Robin on my green!!) And a strange site by the rustic bridge of a juv Blackcap closely following a Robin and even begging for food!

Cassiobury Park - 21.6.11

This morning I heard a Spotted Flycatcher singing briefly by the fallen dead tree opposite the bowls club. Shame I didn't see it. Further down the park I sawa juv Carrion Crow being fed by an adult. 7 Mistle Thrush were seen today, 2 by the bowls club and presumably a family party (2 ad + 3 juv) between the car park and paddling pools. Maybe an early sign of Autumn was a singing Chiffchaff way up the park near the cafe that was present briefly. Another was still down by the river.

Cassiobury Park - 20.6.11

The first bird of the morning was a juv Woodpigeon followed shortly after by 2 juv Pied Wagtails perched on one of the tennis nets. The 2 Little Owls had moved further up the park where they called to each other. A Kingfisher flew over my head next to the rustic bridge.

Happy Father's Day - 19.6.11

3 photos of the juvenile Night Heron. The bottom photo (as blurry as it is) shows a lovely orange colour to the underside of it's foot.

As it's Father's Day today I decided to have a lay in and didn't get out of bed until 10am. I had some breakfast then I did some hoovering and hung out some washing! My missus then said lets go out for dinner so we went to the Tudor Arms for a bit of food (classy I know!). Imagine then to my horror and probably every Herts birder when news broke of a Night Heron at Stockers Lake that had been on view from 9.30am till 1pm at least!! It was now 2.30pm and I was waiting for my food to arrive! Luckily it stuck around and about 3.30pm I was on site and watching my first Night Heron in Herts. Such a shame that it was a fair distance away on one of the islands so getting a decent photo was tricky (for me at least!) A Red Kite flew over aswell.

Cassiobury Park - 17.6.11

The highlight of the day was a female Grey Wagtail by the waterfall this morning. Without looking at posts from the start of the year this could well be the first sighting of 2011! 2 Bullfinches were heard with 1 near the meadow and 1 by the council yard. The 2 Little Owls were still in the Oak trees this afternoon and the first bird of the day was a juv Goldfinch on the shed roof in the back garden which the missus saw first but called it as a "dinky sparrow"!!