St James' Park (1 Viewer)

[lngbrder888]

Regularly have a little lunch time walk around St James' park and for somewhere slap in the middle of London it does have some good bits and peices. Anyone else regularly check around the Park?

Sometimes hard to know which are resident birds that have been clipped and which have flown in, but today looked like:

Gadwall m + f
Tufted
Pochard
Little Grebe
Greylag Geese
Coot
Moorhen
Parakeet

...and something I have never seen there before, Male Smew. Seen a pair of females that look as though they might be clipped residents, but in 7 months never seen a white nun. Hoping it has flown in.

Anyone have any info on what has been clipped and introduced?

 

[wigeon1]

Yes I work near St James Park so sometimes have a lunchtime walk round there. Thank you for the tip off, I saw the male smew there today. I hadn't seen it before. Like you, I'm never sure which of the birds is wild and which is captive. I've seen a shoveler pair then a few times, I wonder if they're wild.

I love the red crested pochards!

 

[lngbrder888]

I think the Shoevlar could well have flown in along with several pairs of Gadwall. Also seen a few at Hyde Park when I have gone over that way. A good view of the primary wing feathers across the back when they are sat on the water, or standing on the bank seems to be the best way to know for sure with most of the wild fowl down there.

Havent been for a while. Will be heading down if the weather stays fine this week.

 

[TwoDipsfromAmsterdam]

I think you can discount the Smew - I recall seeing one or two there in mid-summer!

DiP

 

[lngbrder888]

Yeah always seem to be a few red heads which are clearly residents and there all year round, but in 8 months never seen the white nun before.

 

[eyes2theskiesUK]

I do the WeBs count at St James's Park, I think there are at least 1 pair of Smew in the collection. 1 pr of Wigeon, most of the Red-crested Pochard are clipped but have seen some flying in from other parks. I have never seen Teal there collection or otherwise. All the Shoveler seen there are wild as never see any in the summer. Ruddy Duck are part of collection, Gadwall I think are wild. So I think you can say the Smew is not wild.

 

[S Smith]

Yeah, I think I have seen Smew there too in the past.
Steve

 

[lngbrder888]

Thanks for the information eyes2theskiesUK. Really good to know what is in the collection.

Havent been for a while due to work load, but once things calm down I will be down there to see whats about.

Cheers