And They're Off

Spring has certainly sprung in the local area with a Chiff Chaff singing in Greenbank park on Tuesday starting it off, also on Tuesday I found my first reptile of the year in the form Red Eared Terrapin, 2 pairs of nesting Coot, drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Nuthatch, 2 Pied and 2 Grey Wagtails, Ring Necked Parakeet, and a Treecreeper, the pair of Mute Swans nest building,and the odd sight of the resident Farm Goose mating with a Canada Goose! In Sefton Park 3 Nuthatch, Ring Necked Parakeet, 3 Peacock butterflies, flowering wild Primroses.

On Wednesday a Chiff Chaff was singing again in Greenbank Park and a great record of a very early fly-over Yellow Wagtail

On Thursday my first Swallow of the year heralded spring calling over my house.

On Friday 7 White Wagtails were among over 30 Pied Wagtails in Wavertree Mystery and an escaped Budgerigar was an odd sight. In the afternoon a Peregrine flew low over Smithdown Road, and I disturbed a Peregrine with its Woodpigeon prey in the University of Liverpool. A Grey Heron and a Ring Necked Parakeet in Greenbank Park.

Around the area Lesser Cellandine, Colts-Foot, Bluebells, Primroses, are all in flower at many sites.

HERE WE GO AGAIN!

Love is in the air

Many thanks to Sean for the tip off of a male Goldeneye at Greenbank Park, my first for the area and it has been present all week now, apart from this a female Tufted Duck is still present also. The pair of Mute Swans have returned very early this year and are already in courtship display and have been seen attempting to initially start nest building, the male bird has started to pursue the Canada Geese around the lake and will eventually in the Spring drive them all off the lake. The Ring Necked Parakeets are still present with two birds regular this week in the poplars above the east side of west side of the lake; with more regularly heard calling in the direction of the allotments. Other birds in the park include Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, 40+ Goldfinches, Grey Heron, Farm Goose, and Redwings. The Daffodils are in full bloom now and on sunny days you could mistake it for April.
Elsewhere on monday 12 Siskins and 26 Pied Wagtails in Wavertree Mystery, Fox and Pink-Feet heard over Sefton Park on New Years Eve.
Today over Dovedale Road a pair of Sparrowhawks where in courtship display and a Peregrine flew East at 9:15.

Lets Catch Up

Sorry for the lack of posts recently as I have had real problems with the blog, hopefully everything is sorted now so off we go again!
A couple of weeks ago I visited Caldestones Park with the boy, no sign of the Ivy Broomrape this year (see last years posts) due to overly excessive gardening! The usual suspects in the park including Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Treecreeper, Grey Squirrels, Buzzard, and nesting Stock Doves. Down on the lake 2 pairs of Canada Geese have bred (quite unusual in this area), 3 Tufted Ducks, Grey Heron, Cormorant, and 5 Red-Eared Terrapins. In the bog garden at least 1 Great Crested Newt could be seen coming up for air, as well as many Smooth Newts, its good to see the 'cresty' as I haven't been out with the torch for a couple of years checking for them.
Last week in Sefton Park I found 2 Black-Tailed Skimmers, one as last year on the main lake and one in the newly created wetland stretch leading up to Greenbank Lane. This is the second year running I have had this species in the park. This species has been rapidly moving north and can now frequently be found on the Sefton Coast at sites such as Sands Lake, so could it now be breeding in Sefton Park? The breeding Little Grebes are still in residence and the Mute Swans now have young in tow. Jackdaws breeding near to the Cafe, Grey Wagtails again breeding in the dell, and a Buzzard over.
In Greenbank Park as Tony's comment highlighted, the Mute Swans have failed to raise young with 5 eggs failing; probably as Tony points out due to a lack of vegetation for the swans to build the nest with resulting in the eggs becoming chilled, last years nest was actually created by the council gardeners, notably John Warren and placed on the southern raft! I was rather surprised that the Swans took to it to be honest! BTCV have now created fenced off areas and planted reeds, a good start but more is needed! Other birds in Greenbank Park have included 2 male Tufted Ducks, regular Grey Heron, 5 Red-Eared Terrapins, Grey Wagtails, Chiff Chaff, Blackcap, again another (or the same) Ring-Necked Parakeet briefly around a week ago, the regular Farm Goose, 3 pairs of Coot have bred, a Nuthatch family have been feeding around the park lately with a second group along Greenbank Lane.

On a number of occasions I have heard a Little Owl from home calling from the direction of Greenbank Lane allotments, I have heard this now for three consecutive Springs; but have yet to track one down in the flesh! The Sparrowhawks are again breeding on private land in the Greenbank area, but as usual are very secretive during this time of year. During warm evenings (just before dusk) large numbers of Swifts have been gathering over Greenbank Park; with at least 200 birds at some times, along with local Swallows and House Martins.
2 pairs of Blackcap, 1 pair of Chiff Chaff, Nuthach, Song Thrush, and Treecreeper all on territory in Greenbank Drive woods.
I have noticed many Foxes around recently with Toxteth Cemetery being a good site for them. A walk around my local area early morning last week produced 3 separate Foxes and 5 active dens! Along with an active den in Wavertree Mystery Park and 3 pairs of Blackcap, 1 pair of Chiff Chaff, a family of Pied Wagtails, and one pair of Stock Dove in the park too.
Perregrine over Sefton Park on Saturday.
Thanks to Colin Conroy for submitting my Honey Garlic record for Greenbank Park, according to David Earl it is the only record for South Lancs and it is still in flower if anyone wants to see it.

Cricket, Garlic, Ravens; and not much else!

I recently found this clump of Honey Garlic at Greenbank Park in the wooded area, this was a first for me and quite an unusual find; I am led to believe. A striking plant standing about 3ft high and with multiple flower heads. Jackdaws, Grey Wagtail, Mistle and Song Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Treecreeper, Chiff Chaff, Blackcap, are all either nesting or on territory in the park, along with the Mute Swans still sitting on eggs and 3 pairs of Coots nesting. A pair of Grey Wagtails nesting on the front of the Brookhouse Pub, Smithdown Road at the moment regularly come into Greenbank Park to feed also.

I visited Liverpool Cricket Club to watch Lancashire vs Yorkshire on Wednesday (Lancs eventually won on Saturday) and apart from the cricket I saw 2 Buzzards (with one bird mewing), Kestrel (not a common bird anymore in the area), Sparrowhawk, Swift, Swallows, and a Chiff Chaff on territory.

Goldcrests singing and Three-Cornered Garlic flowering off Mill Lane Wavertree on Thursday as was Wood Anemone until recently.
Yesterday over the house I had a Raven heading west and a pair of Swifts (they are really thin on the ground this spring), and a Peregrine over the City Centre.
3 pairs of Blackcap and a nesting pair of Pied Wagtails in Wavertree Mystery.



A pair of Raven on Stanley Road Bootle today as was one last Sunday.

Time realy hasnt been on my side of late...................two more weeks of hectic schedule and then some free time at last! I am sick of missing things..................Broad Billed Sandpiper, Citrine Wagtail, Black Headed Wagtail, Red Rumped Swallow; just to name a few!

Good news from Sefton Park

Below is a report from Liverpool Daily Post concerning the family of Mute Swans in Sefton Park.

Swan savaged by dog in Liverpool's Sefton Park
May 27 2010 By Laura Jones

THE dog owner involved in the attack on the swan last night has voluntarily contacted police.
She arrived at a south Liverpool station today to be interviewed under caution, although she has not been arrested.
A police spokesperson said: "Arrangements will be made for a police dog handler to visit the woman's home and examine the dog in question, however there is nothing to suggest at this stage that it is a banned breed."

A MUM plunged into a lake in a south Liverpool park in a bid to rescue a swan savaged by a dog. Kit Friery waded through the water as the swan lay dying in Sefton Park lake - the victim of a vicious attack by a bull terrier-type dog. Kit, who was walking in the park with her 10-year-old daughter Rachael, at first waited for the RSPCA to arrive. But after two hours she decided to take matters into her own hands. Despite dragging the injured bird to the safety it later died. It is thought the dog mauled the swan at about 7.30pm - although police officers did not arrive until 9.40pm.
A 31-year-old man who was in the park with his wife said: "We were walking round Sefton Park lake and saw there were two swans on the other side of the lake with five or six cygnets. "There was a pitbull-style dog that went towards the swans and started barking. "Its owner was in her late 20s. She pulled the dog away, but carried on walking towards the swans. The dog overpowered her and went for the swans and dug its teeth into one of the adult swans. "It had hold of it for 20 or 30 seconds. People went towards it. Somebody managed to grab the swan and rip it out of the dog’s jaws and got it into the lake. It was harrowing to watch. The swan was really badly injured. "I think it's another example of this type of dog being uncontrollable - just imagine it going for an infant or a baby. "There really should be a designated area of the park for people letting their dogs run loose. It shouldn't be anywhere near Sefton Park. "It was a dark brown or black pitbull or Staffordshire terrier dog."
Merseyside police today appealed for the owner of the Staffordshire terrier type dog, or any witnesses to the incident, to come forward.
Anyone with information should call neighbourhood police on 0151 777 5354.

The Swan killed in this shocking incident was the female of the pair, there was a fear that the male bird would abandon his six cygnets; however when I visited this afternoon he was still there and all six cygnets are healthy and growing rapidly........fingers crossed.

Also in the park I saw Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Blackcap, Treecreeper, Carp, 2 Siskins, and Meadow Sweet (on the footpath in-between Liverpool University and Liverpool College gronds).