A dull, full cloud morning with the sun trying, but failing, to break through. A light SW>3 at 6 degrees with some light rain showers.
Expecting Ogden to be waterlogged after the fast thaw and heavy overnight rain I headed to Harold Park to check out the gull situation.
The park was disappointing being 80 % frozen over and several species missing, with no gulls at all and no signs of the usual over-wintering Little Grebe and Pochard.
Around 50 Tufted duck were present along with 10 Mute Swan but otherwise down to the usual Coot, Moorhen and Mallard.
Park Dam was also still frozen with 70% ice so again several species missing but slightly better than the park with about 30 Herring gull, 3 LBB and just over 40 small gulls on the ice. A Kingfisher was moving around looking for unfrozen water whilst 6 Goosanders and 8 Tufted were on the water as well as Canada geese and Mallards. The surrounding hedges held Long Tailed Tits as well as Great and Blue plus a pair of Bullfinch.
This will probably be my last visit to Park Dam finding this morning that the top entrance that I use has had all the mature trees and hedges cut down and the access field is now starting to be dug up ready for the building of an estate of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses. You will still be able to enter the dam from the bottom end but this area is very busy in a morning with off lead dogs so not a nice area to be in with my on lead dogs. Apart from that the disturbance of the building work and then all the extra population in houses right up to the dam is sure to have a big effect on the bird life there.
Tomorrows weather is showing the same as today with cloud and chance of rain on a moderate SW at 6 degrees.
BS