© Worth Park Friends 2022
Our member Tom Howard-Jones wrote:
Friday 31-12-2021 - 11:30 to 13:30
We wanted to add a last-day-of-the-year list to our Worth Park records. It was grey
and damp - but a record-breaking mild day for New Year's Eve.
To start with it was very quiet. We thought we were going to record the lowest
number of birds ever. However, by the end we had found a reasonable number and
one notable new addition to our list.
The exciting newcomer was a drake
Goosander
fishing in the lake. We watched it as
we walked around the lake from about midday to 1 pm. Later other birders saw and
photographed it (thanks to Jamie Court for allowing us to publish his photo).
Apparently, it was disturbed by a loud noise and flew off about 3:45 pm. Goosanders
are described as "scarce winter visitors and passage migrants". We were lucky and
thrilled to find it.
The young
Mute Swan
, one
Great Crested Grebe
, a
Cormorant
and the two
Egyptian Geese
were present.
We watched a large rat feeding on the bank; but even it did not fancy the Brussels
sprout peelings that had been put down for the birds.
An early Camellia was in flower in the triangle woods.
A full list of birds seen is given in the
Bird Table
.
Goosander, photo: Jamie Court