Park, Cemetery, And Garden.

Williamson Park.

A walk through the park proved eventful, with a pair of Mistle Thrush found to be nesting in a Sycamore, also up to 10 Chiffchaff mostly heard, though one bird gave excellent views. Also noted, 16 Blackbird, 5 Nuthatch, 5 Robin, 4 Great Tit, a Wren, and 2 Long-tailed Tit.

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Two Herring Gull and a Lesser Black-backed Gull were at the pond in Williamson Park....Well, you can't call 'em 'seabirds' can you!

Lancaster Cemetery.

On to the cemetery which also proved to be eventful, in that I had another sighting of at least 3 Bullfinch which were seen short of 1/3 mile east of the male I found in the area on 17 December last year. These sightings have been made on inaccessible/private land unfortunately. Also in the cemetery, I found 2 Nuthatch behaving in a manner that made it likely to become a breeding site. 

Making a return visit the following day, I watched the male Nuthatch coming down the tree and appear to feed the female a small food item through a hole bottom right of the split in the trunk....So, a bit of interest here to keep me on my toes for a few weeks.

The Garden. 

Butterflies and Bees have been visiting the garden recently, particularly the latter, this Tree Bumblebee and the Buff-tailed Bumblebee were showing the benefit of our Pussy Willow.

We had the pleasure of a visit by a Greenfinch to the feeders. A declining species and scarce visitor to our garden. Footage through the kitchen window, and a little too enthusiastic with the zoom....Well thats my excuse anyway.

Stonechat Black Moss Reservoir. Courtesy of Martin Jordan.

Stonechats....In the first quarter of this year to 31 March.

With no duplications, I have noted 137 Stonechat individuals in 71 records taken from FBC/LDBWS websites. Only 5 of my personal records are included in these, and are represented by 15 Stonechat, 9 of which are now on territory. 

I have categorised these Stonechat records as 30 wintering birds seen from 2 January until 27 February, the early date migration took off, when 13 Stonechat were seen by a birder on one birding date.