OUT IN THE OPEN

As expected, the blue tit chicks were ready to leave the safety of the park toilet building and emerged into the open on Wednesday 27th on a wet and windy morning. Once they got outside, the parents soon found them and continued to find food for them.

It seemed as if there were four chicks inside the store room who all seemed to have fluttered around and perched on anything they could grab onto. Only the constant chirping from them indicated where they were hiding.

At the other end of the size scale, the mute swans were giving their week old cygnet a rest on the bank alongside the borrowdyke on Thursday morning. Dad kept watch while mum and junior snoozed.

Unexpected bird of the day was a fulmar gliding above the park beach as the strong wind blew it eastwards. It is several years since a fulmr has been seen from the park and luckily this one came close enough during the high tide, did a short loop doubling back on itself before continuing on its way.

Also along the dyke 4 tufted duck flew back to the pond and a little grebe was also seen. Three reed warblers sang from two sections of reeds while on the nearby saltmarsh, 2 reed buntings were singing. A water vole was watched swimming along the side of the dyke and then nibbling on some reed stems.

Several little terns flew past the Point during the morning as did a few common terns. On the mudflats a small group of 13 ringed plovers were feeding at low tide.

There was the usual selection of birds on the muddy pools with 11 lapwing chicks still present and also 3 adults still incubating. Also a pair of gadwall, 2 male shovelers, 10 shelduck, 20 mallard and 2 redshank were feeding or resting. On the pond a male pochard was briefly present in the early evening, alongside the usual 3 pairs of tufted duck.

In the park a nightingale surprisingly flew out of a bush and landed nearby on the path near the park entrance to pick up an insect. It briefly cocked its tail and then flew back up to a bush, flashing the orange tail as it went.

The warm evening sunshine was ideal for common lizards and this one above was one of two individuals seen basking on fenceposts at the park.