Saturday 4 January 2020

Brooklands Park, Patching and Hickstead

Brooklands was rewarding this morning, with the drake Pochard, a local rarity, showing on the lake, along with two Little Grebes, nine Teal and a Grey Heron. The rough patch by the lake held a female Stonechat, four Reed Buntings and two Meadow Pipits, while another Chiffchaff was by the works access road. A Kestrel was on distant wires. The family of Mute Swans all still survived but two intruders were seen off. A glance offshore revealed two Red-breasted Mergansers and four Great Crested Grebes.

adult drake Pochard

adult drake Teal

adult Black-headed Gull which regularly winters on site, apparently christened locally as 'Lumpy'! I also read a metal ring on an adult Black-headed Gull: ST833

I couldn't resist another look at Patching, where the 'Northern Treecreeper' showed well but this time I concentrated on watching it rather than obtaining further photographs. At least one of the Firecrests was also still present.


At Maidenhead Aquatics, Hickstead, I had a Grey Wagtail.