More examples of bird diversity in Alexandra Park…

On this mild, sunny Saturday, birds were out in force in our park, demonstrating the importance of trees and wildlife habitats as nesting season draws closer.

Mistle thrush start nesting from February onwards, so look out for their nests in the forks of trees and shrubs:

Mistle thrush in the area about to be cleared for tennis courts

It’s not just about the trees, but the shrubs and other wildlife habitats that have grown up all around them.  This female blackbird was searching for worms in the future tennis court area:

Female blackbird feeding showing that the whole ecosystem matters

The unmistakeable sound of goldfinch song was everywhere in the park today. This was the best shot I managed to get:

Goldfinch – dozens of these beautiful birds in Alex Park

Moving away from the new tennis court zone to where the existing tennis court area has already been mostly cleared, I found a robin marking its territory loud and clear:

Robin belting out a tune

Over by the pond, a black-headed gull surveyed the scene…

Black-headed gull – the smallest gull to breed in the UK

Whilst elsewhere – from the smallest gull to one of the largest birds in the UK:

Mute swan

And in the same spot as last week – the side of the pond adjacent to Demesne Road, which is set to be mostly cleared of trees and shrubs – I finally managed to get a good shot of the secretive dunnock:

Dunnock – 20% of European population breed here in the UK

Dunnocks often nest in low, thick scrub – just one more example of the importance of wild, natural habitats for nesting birds.

You can walk around Alexandra Park every day of the week and see different species of bird – no two visits are the same.

For me, this highlights one of the reasons why we need wild nature – as spaces where wild animals get on with their lives all around us, all the time. Unpredictable, intriguing, and a great antidote to the routines that shape our lives.