If you come across any nests in the
Park and Gardens, please just look
from a distance and do not touch.
Human interference or disturbance
can lead birds to abandon their nests.
CUCKOO
This bird is not often seen but can
always be heard. The male makes the
familiar ‘cuc-koo’ sound (a sure sign
that spring has arrived and that
summer is on its way) while the female
searches around for the nests of
smaller birds in which to lay her eggs.
She lays one egg in each nest after
carefully removing any eggs that have
already been laid by the host bird.
When the young cuckoo hatches it will
remove any remaining eggs or chicks
of the unsuspecting host.
tempted by a cosy nesting box or even
a letter box or drainpipe! The young
chicks have yellow faces until they
mature when the bright yellow feathers
are replaced by duller white ones.
PIED WAGTAIL
This little bird has been named for its
black and white feathers and its habit
of wagging its tail up and down as it
walks. The pied wagtail nests very
happily in the Park which is a home
for lots of flies and other insects on
which it can feed. A young Pied
Wagtail appears duller in colour than
its parents and is brownish grey in
colour.
GREAT CRESTED GREBE
During the breeding season, great
cres ted grebes c arry o ut an
extraordinary courtship display
involving lots of head shaking and
diving. The males and females present
one another with tasty water plants
while rising up together out of the
water. During this period the dark
plumes on the top of their heads
become very apparent as they are
fluffed out for maximum effect. Great
crested grebes make caring parents
and when their young are first born,
they are carried carefully on their
backs.
A pied wagtail feeding its young
An unsuspecting reed warbler feeding a
young cuckoo and a cuckoo chick
pushing eggs out of the host’s nest.
GREAT TIT
This is the biggest, brightest and
noisiest member of the tit family. The
adult birds have a black and white
head, a yellow belly with a black stripe,
bluish-grey wings and black and white
outer tail feathers. They tend to nest
in trees or walls but can also be
GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER
The air in early springtime can be
filled with the sound of the great
spotted woodpecker hammering on a
dead branch or tree trunk to establish
its territory. These birds are easy to
recognise with their black and white
plumage and both the male and the
female birds have characteristic red
patches on their tummies. They drill a
nesting chamber in tree trunks and
their young have a red cap which
changes to black as they become
mature.
Two young crested grebes riding on their
mother’s back
LONG TAILED TIT
The tail of this delightful little bird is
almost half the total length of its body.
Long tailed tits are often seen in
groups and feed on insects, spiders,
seeds and buds. They can be very
susceptible to extremely cold weather
and some years their population can
be reduced by as much as 80%. In the
springtime they busy themselves
A great spotted woodpecker creating a
nesting chamber
A great tit with young fledglings
A long tailed tit with its young
creating intricate feather lined nests
made from moss and bound together
with cobwebs and hair. The young
long tailed tit is not as brightly
coloured as the mature bird and has a
much shorter tail.
RED KITE
The kite can be seen hovering or
gliding high in the sky - the child's toy
kite was named after this bird. It faced
near extinction in the early 1900's
when gamekeepers wrongly thought
that they would be a threat to their
birds - their numbers have now
recovered to such an extent that they
have become a fairly common sight in
some areas of the country and we are
fortunate to have them in the
Park. Red kites reach maturity at 2-4
years of age and they normally pair for
life - they tend to stay together at all
times, not just during the breeding
season. Courtship and nest building
normally begins in March then 2 - 4
weeks later, the first egg is laid. They
always build their nests in trees normally
hardwood
trees such as
oaks. The
red
kite
normally
eats carrion
(animals
which are
already
dead), small
mammals,
birds
and
insects.
The Park’s usual feathered residents in
spring
The following birds can usually be
seen in the Park in spring as well as
winter. In the winter nature watch
there is information about these birds
so here we just give a little extra for the
spring season.
Swans
Swans tend to stay with the same mate
for life and this is unusual in the bird
kingdom. Swans lay large off white
coloured eggs. They can lay between 5
-7 eggs at a time. Their nests are very
large flattened piles of reeds and grass
made on dry land but usually near
water. Their chicks are fluffy and light
grey in colour with dark grey beaks.
Swans are very protective of their nests
and chicks and will defend them very
aggressively so please do not go near
them – they have been known to attack
people if they feel particularly
threatened!
A swan carefully carries its young
Mallards
Ducks lay pale blue / grey green eggs
in nests built on the ground hidden in
the undergrowth. Their nests are very
neatly constructed of any vegetation
they can find nearby. The nests are
lined with down. They can lay between
8-13 eggs at a time. Ducks produce just
on brood (1 lot of chicks) a year
between March and June.
Coots
Coots can lay between 6-9 light buff
coloured eggs that have brown
speckles on them. Coots can produce
2 broods a year between April and
July. They nest in untidy looking nests
that are very well hidden. The chicks
are black and fluffy. They have red
colouring at the base of their beaks
and on their faces. They also have a
circle of soft orange around their
necks.
like a Moorhen when young.
Herons
Herons lay light blue eggs and can lay
3-4 eggs at a time. They produce just 1
brood a year. Their nests are usually
large and rather untidy looking, made
of sticks and twigs in tree tops.
Canada Geese
Canada Geese live in quite large
numbers in the Park. They usually
make their nests on the ground near
the lake. The nests are large and made
of twigs, reeds, grass, leaves and down.
They can lay between 5-7 eggs at a
time. Their eggs are cream in colour.
They produce one brood a year.
A Canada goose with its young
Cormorants
In the Park Cormorants build their
nests in trees close to the lake. They
lay between 3-4 eggs at a time. These
eggs are usually pale blue or green.
Pheasants
Pheasants nest on the ground amongst
the undergrowth or in hedges. Their
nests are always well hidden. They can
lay between 8-15 pale olive/buff
coloured eggs. Pheasants produce 1
brood a year between April and June.
Young pheasants are usually beige in
colour and the young males develop
their wonderful colours a little later in
life.
Kingfishers
Kingfishers build their nests at the end
of long tunnels in the banks of the
lake. Both parents build the tunnel
and nest. The female can lay between
6-7 white eggs at a time. They can
produce 2 or 3 broods a year between
April and August.
A nest of coot chicks
Moorhens
Moorhens lay buff coloured eggs with
reddish brown blotches. They can lay
between 6-10 eggs at a time and
produce up to 3 broods a year
between April and August. They nest
amongst reeds or bushes near water.
The chicks are all black unlike the red
heads of the baby coots. So a
Moorhen looks more like a Coot
when young and a Coot looks more
A kingfisher returning to its nest