Goldcrests galore at Cranford Park

The first thing that struck me as I entered Cranford Woods this morning was the bird song. Long-tailed Tits, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Robins, marmite Parakeets, Crows, Jays, Green Woodpeckers, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Jackdaws and Goldcrests were all calling.

 

Goldcrests have a very high pitched call, so high that some people cannot hear them. Because they are so small (they are the smallest bird in Europe) they often go unseen, but at this time of year they mix in with Tit flocks so whenever you see a flock of Long-tailed Tits there will probably be a Goldcrest or two amongst them. That's what I found this morning. There were several Tit flocks around the woods and up and down 'Chestnut Avenue' and along the River Crane and each flock contained at least one Goldcrest. They were easy to watch and locate once they were calling but trying to photograph one was near on impossible......

 

 

 

The Long-taileds weren't much easier......

 

 

By the outdoor classroom circle of logs, one of the fallen trees has been artistically altered.....

 

 

The marmite Parakeets are starting to pair up and investigate potential nesting holes. The female below was intent on making this hole a bit bigger......

 

Where as this pair looked like they'd found their ideal abode.....

 

 

With most of the trees bare of leaves now, clumps of mistletoe are easy to see....

 

 

Along with the Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits and Parakeets being very visible today, the Great Spotted Woodpeckers were also frequently seen. I didn't hear any drumming today but often saw the males pulling bark away, maybe whilst foraging for food or maybe sizing up a trees potential for a new nest hole. Great Spotted Woodpeckers don't use the same nest hole every year, though they may go back to a favoured one a couple of years later.......

 

I walked along the river twice today but both times I didn't hear or see any of the resident Kingfishers. The Little Egret was also absent but I did get a fleeting glimpse of one of the Little Grebes before it disappeared under the overhanging foliage. Also absent were both of the Kestrels. It wont be long now before they start bonding again and getting ready to mate. I also didn't see either of the Sparrowhawks although two large circles of feathers on the ground indicated they had recently made a couple of kills. On the river bank I found some deer tracks. They look like Roe Deer but I know Muntjac Deer frequent the park too. I also got a very brief sighing of a Weasel before it darted into the undergrowth by the iron bridge.

 

So all in all it was a very pleasant few hours walking around the park. The sun stayed out all morning with only a slight chilly breeze, and despite yesterdays strong winds there were only a few fallen branches around the woods.