Aylestone Meadows - Moody Days!

The Boardwalk with a hint of the Kingfisher Pool


A Male Bullfinch, the only "pink" I want to see on the meadows!

Well not that moody really, it's actually been very good. The bulk of the thrushes seem to have cleared out and surprisingly you hardly hear even a Redwing at the moment. I've done both sections in the last couple of days. Yesterday, whilst watching the rather elusive Willow Tits which are moving around with the bulk of the Tit flock, a female Sparrowhawk came through and all hell broke loose. In amongst the alarm calls the distinctive rising notes of a disturbed Firecrest, a gem of a bird and a species rarely recorded in the county. Sadly, for me anyway, I couldn't see it in the densest bramble thicket but over the next few days I hope I'll get a glimpse. It appears to be moving around with the roving tit flock rather than wintering Goldcrests, so keep a look out for the distinctive eyestripe and bronze shoulders. The Kingfishers are still pretty active and can be seen anywhere along the boardwalk at the moment but especially around the pool midway. In the Southern section apart from an amazing array of feral geese including a Swan Goose (bizarre) there is a large finch flock numbering around 130 birds between Asda and the Grand Union which is well worth a look. Equally good is another mixed flock of Finches and Buntings in the northern section, especially concentrated around the abandoned road between the main car park and the sports ground. There are both Siskins and Reed Bunting amongst the more usual Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and Greenfinch.