A walk to East Park at the end of March

A cool day with brief sunny spells, I walk to East Park via the Duesbery street cycle path. Signs of breeding all around. By Wilmington bridge, Carrion Crows already incubating. Coots and Mallard on nests too, Greenfinches lining their nests, Blackbirds nest lining and feeding chicks. A pair of Canada Geese by their nest with two eggs.

A pair of Crows were collecting lining material, this one, presumably the female, concentrated and accumulated the material, its mate collected some, dropped it and repeated the operation.

Coot on nest.

Aerial view of mallard on nest.

Mute Swans appeared to be establishing their territory, with no nesting seen.

Canada Geese nest and eggs. 

The surprise was to find three Rook nests well advanced. There had been previous nesting of Rooks in East Park, but a rookery has failed to establish. Lets hope this one stays. The feeling was quite rural with the soundtrack of Jackdaws calling (at least two pairs nesting on tree holes).

Rookery.

Blackbird with nest material.

Just four Black-headed Gulls left at the park, only one of them had a dark hood.

Despite the not so auspicious conditions, I am very pleased to see active frogs in the shrubbery pond. Seven visible, all males with calling and squabbling.

I retrace my steps and go to the boardwalk, which seems like a good location for amphibians. Toads and a frog are calling. The toads mating with at leat 17, and lots of toad spawn. 

Common Toads. Note the strings of toad spawn.

Frog in the wrong party, hugging a toad.

Toad.

On the walk back, I spot three terrapins together on a log. One of them has a red belly, a Cooter (top shot).

Cooter and Woodpigeon.

I also have some mining bees. A nesting aggregation of Andrena haemorhoa, looking similar to an A. fulva aggregation on a grassy slope.

Possible Andrena clarkella.

The walk there and back very pleasant, with plenty of song on the green corridor of the cycle/pedestrian path.

A large flock of gulls lift on the thermals.

Pied Wagtail at Stoneferry Rd.

Blackcap by the Beverley and Barmston drain.

 

One of 5 Bullfinches feeding on cherry buds by the Beverley and Barmston drain.

A total of 44 species today.