Roundhay Ramblings (1 Viewer)

[passerdomesticus]

Waxwings, Roundhay Road & Park

There were 105 waxwings at the junction of Easterly Road and Roundhay Road late morning. The birds were feeding on buds in the top of a tall poplar in the back garden of number 118, but were very mobile, commuting between here and the lone oak tree on Brookfield Avenue (on the opposite side of Roundhay Road). I suspect that these birds may relate to the sighting of St. Wilfrid's Crescent/St. Wilfrid's Grove earlier this am (birds were also reported from here c. 1 week ago) as location is very close as the waxwing flies.

I also saw 7 goosander (all females) on the main lake by the 'dam' - 3.30pm.

Tony

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Nice one with the waxwings Tony. Looks like I'm going to have to do a circuit of Waterloo Lake as well as the gorge if I'm going to get more waterfowl.
I'm hopefully having another ramble on Wednesday, chores permitting.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

As there was sun and a cloudless sky I took myself off to the Park for another ramble today. I altered my normal route to take in the Eastern edge of Waterloo Lake and the dam wall, along with the churchyard and Braim Wood between the Lake and the golf course.

Within feet of the entrance to Ram Wood I had a pair of courting nuthatches above my head, as well as blue tits, wood pigeons and a msingle singing mistle thrush. The path underfoot was wet but okay to walk on...so far.

Upper Lake had good numbers of mallard, tufted duck and black-headed gulls along with half a dozen coot and a handful of moorhens. The pair of mute swans were still present. A pleasant surprise was a male goosander cruising the waters of the lake.

The path down to Waterloo Lake through Castle Woods was relatively bird free today, although I did find a calling nuthatch below the waterfall. An interesting sight was a group of young lads obviously on a school trip taking part in a physical exercise class by the Castle. The instructor had them running piggy back races up the slope to the Castle, rather them than me.

The northern end of Waterloo Lake was also bird free, probably due to the noise of the youngsters, but I did find a single great crested grebe by the posts across the lake, as well as more black-headed gulls and mallards. I could hear jackdaws calling but only managed a glimpse of a couple of birds, but there were definitely many more than that. As I passed safety point 15 (midway down the lakeside) I heard a drumming great spotted woodpecker very, very close to me. I scanned the trees around me and found him...and her. I'd found a pair of birds that were in full courtship mode. He was closely following her, never more than a few feet away. I made the mistake of trying to get closer to them and alerted them to my presence, with the inevitable result of them disappearing double quick.

As I could now see most of the area in front of the boat house I stopped to count the birds on the water. A dozen Canada geese and a single greylag with them, 6 mute swans including a couple of cygnets, 50+ black-headed gull and at least 6 common gulls and a single male goosander with 4 females in tow along the bank running towards the overflow area. Then right down by the dam wall another great crested grebe, this one a little further into summer plumage as the head tippets were well coloured.

At the dam wall I made up into Braim Woods to find the churchyard that has been mentioned earlier. I've a confession to make here, I am Leeds born and bred and have visited Roundhay Park many times since the 1950's and until today I had never seen that churchyard and church. It is an area that I will be visiting more often though as I found another drumming great spot, as well as the first treecreeper of the day (which I managed to get a crappy snap of) and another nuthatch. It was here that I found the only wren of the day, I'm starting to be a little concerned for these birds, as from visits in previous years I know that wrens were one of the more common birds in the park. I hope that the big freeze moved them on rather killed them off.

I made my way back up to the Northern end of the Lake by following what started out as a reasonable path through Braim Wood but it rapidly become quite a quagmire. The good thing that came out of this bit of the walk was the knowledge that my boots were still sound, I had been worried that they were starting to let water through. Quite close to the golf course I found another pair of courting nuthatches as well as the first long tailed tits of the walk. I'll revisit this area later in the year but I think I'll leave it a while to dry out first as I can't abide having to walk in gumboots which is really the most sensible footwear for it at the moment.

Having avoided slipping and falling in the mud on a number of occasions I at last exited Braim Wood and entered the gorge area. How good it was to be back on proper paths, at last I felt safe scanning the treetops as I walked along. It wasn't long before I heard another drumming great spot this time from further along the gorge, sadly this time I didn't get a look at the bird. I did find a third pair of nuthatches, judging by the distance between them all, I feel that I had found 3 separate pairs rather than the same pair twice or three times. Towards the top end of the gorge I started to find chaffinches, several calling males and a few females, as well as the largest group of long-tailed tits of the day, a whopping 4 birds. This group was quite active and hardly stopped at all, I followed them as best I could with the binoculars but lost them when I found another treecreeper. This one quite high up in a tree but I suspect it was sunning itself as it was in a patch of sunlight with it's wings partially opened, a pose it held for at least 2 minutes before it flicked it's wings shut and moved on up the trunk.

Narrowly avoiding a mud bath again I decided that as the path through the small wood by the houses is normally wetter than the gorge it would be prudent to use the roads to get back home. So I left the wood and made my way along West Park drive East emerging from the almost tunnel-like first hundred yards to find a red kite drifting over from the Shadwell area towards Street Lane. One day I'll have one drifting across the Park!

 

[loiner]

Took a walk round the Park in the snow on Saturday. Despite the poor weather the rowers were out on Waterloo Lake, complete with a guy with a loudhailer in a dingy with outboard motor, making plenty of noise. As a result there wasn't much on the water, seven Goosanders being the best.
The gorge was disappointingly quiet, but at the dam end of the Waterloo Lake were Long-tailed Tit flocks on both sides, four flocks totalling about 80 birds. As usual these included reasonable numbers of Blue and Great tits, a few Coal Tits, Goldcrests, Nuthatches and Treecreepers with a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling a bit further away. The behaviour of one party hinted at a hunting Sparrowhawk in the area, but I couldn't see anything. Almost 100 Redwings were feeding in leaf litter by the Lakeside Cafe, with about 150 on Soldiers' Field later in the day. The upper lake was less disturbed and held about 45 Tufted Ducks.
I had a quick look round the churchyard (first time for a while) and couldn't help but smile at the signs put up warning that 'Gravestones can cause death'. I thought that it was the other way around!. I regularly check out churchyards for birds, I hadn't come across those signs before.
Afterwards a walk along the Ring Road woods from the Gorge to the Harrogate Road resulted in several more mixed tit flocks, again about 80 Long-taileds and 20-30 Blue and Greats, a couple of Coal and half-a-dozen Goldcrests, and single Nuthatch and Greater Spotted Woodpecker. It would appear that last year's poor weather hasn't affected the tit populations too badly.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

I wandered down to the park this afternoon, 2.30 till 4.30. Was nice in the sun but oh boy when the sun dropped behind the trees the temperature dropped like a stone. This was my first visit since getting the new camera so I was anxious to try it out.

As per usual I started at Ram Wood and made my way down to Upper Lake, there were several long-tailed tits in Ram Wood. A pretty large group but difficult to count as they were very mobile, best I could do was the low teens but I probably under counted them. There were a good number of singing blue tits and great tits, with at least 2 singing robins not bad for a stretch of woodland only 100 yards deep.

As I got to the edge of the wood near the lake I found the grey wagtail feeding on the stream again. Upper Lake was not as busy as last time, only about 2 dozen mallard and maybe the same in tufted ducks. There was a pair of goosander on the lake this time.

I didn't go down to Waterloo Lake today but stayed at the North end of the Park, making my way through Castle Woods and into Great Head Wood and the Gorge at a high level. Found a pair of nuthatches by the castle, now mainly silent or at most just uttering subsong rather than the choo chooing of my last visit. A single treecreeper here offered an opportunity to grab a picture, well at least this time I didn't need to blow the picture up too large to see the bird. Anyone know why these birds always move around to the opposite side of the tree when you take the lens cap off? I'd watched it for several minutes make it's way up the trunk facing me, the minute I grabbed the camera the little swine shuffled around the trunk.

Made my way along the path to the end of the gorge and as I was wearing light trainers I decided not to venture up the trail to Roundhay Park Lane but rather to retrace my steps. I'm glad I did as I found great spotted woodpecker and song thrush close to the golf course, as well as a small mammal, not sure what species, as all I saw was the rear end disappearing under some stones. Seemed to have a longish tail so I'd think it was a mouse of some sort, not large enough to be a rat I know that.

By now I was back in Ram Wood, and here I found another pair of nuthatches, this time calling away like billy-ho. Sadly they were right at the top of a birch tree and I couldn't get the camera to lock onto them so all I managed were several shots of branches with blurs that I know were nuthatches. I did find an obliging blackbird that stayed put whilst I got a picture. However as I was shooting in auto mode the low light level meant that the depth of field was rubbish.

Looks like there's a learning curve for me to travel with this camera.:-O

 

[frank barrington]

you will get there with the camera kieth
good shot of the gooseander

 

[DOC REED]

Hi Keith


Lovely reports ! I remember as a boy playing rugby against roundhay GS and then later in senior rugby against 'Roundhay RUFC'.Think latter,maybe both., now deceased.Played one of my last games against 'Roundhesians'. Remember lots of wooded areas at all these spots......Am i in the right neighbourhood? Just wondered what became of all these sites....do any still exist..think Roundhegians are still on go!

Lots of fond memories, one painful one though. Can't remember which exactly...but as tight head prop I guess I wasn't supposed to stop the scrum to point out Green Woody flyin g over!!!!

Ah well.....a long time ago!!!

Paul

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Paul... I am a member of the Roundhegians.... Badminton section. The Rugby club is still going although not in the leagues it used to play in now in the Yorkshire 3s.
Most of the wooded areas in that part of Leeds still exist thankfully, and will stay that way if the residents are anything to go by.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Due to the cat wanting food at 5.45 I was awake early today so decided to head off down to the park for an early visit. Reached Ram Wood for just before 7.00am and already the dog walkers were out!

The first bird of the day in the woods was a calling nuthatch somewhere off to my right, followed by a small flock of blue and great tits moving through the canopy above me. As I ventured further into the wood I heard the first drumming great spotted woodpecker of the morning. Just before I reached Upper Lake I heard a wren singing away, so they have come back to the park, I'd like to know where they have been.
As I reached the Upper Lake I managed to spot a wren bustling around in the shoots at the base of a tree, not the bird I'd heard as that was still singing and this one was beak down feeding. The lake itself was surprisingly empty, only a bare handful of black-headed gulls, roughly a dozen mallard and a couple of dozen tufted ducks. As the numbers of the latter two had gone up by the time I was on the way back I reckon they are not early risers and most must have been roosting on the island.

The pair of mute swans were still on the Upper Lake, one of which took almost half the length of the lake to take-off, as it landed further along the lake I think just swimming across would have used less energy. It was whilst watching the swans that I noticed several goosander at the far end of the lake, as I approached I was able to count 6 females and a single male bird. I watched one female come up from a dive with a perch in it's bill. She had a rare old time dispatching the fish, and then avoiding loosing it to the other goosanders and the black-headed gulls.

Today I took the path from the waterfall end of the Upper Lake to the Castle, just before leaving the lake area I heard the plaintive tchoo of a pair of bullfinches which I found flying away across towards Braim Wood. Whilst on the path to the Castle I found a grey wagtail feeding in the stream that runs from the waterfall to Waterloo Lake. So this bird was still in the area, it would be good if a mate for it turned up as I reckon the habitat is just right for them.

The immediate area around the Castle held little today other than carrion crows and magpies, at least a couple of pairs of the latter but well over a dozen of the former. From the slope below the Castle I was able to see across to the tops of the trees in Braim Wood and counted over 14 jackdaws in the air, with more in the trees.

Waterloo Lake was quite busy with Canada Geese, in the region of 30 birds by the island. There were certainly 3 birds on the island and the noise would tend to indicate there being a good deal more. A small handful of coot were also present here, but no moorhen. I did find a couple of great crested grebes further out on the lake, no courtship behaviour though. There was another great spot drumming further down the lake side area, so probably one of the birds I had seen on an earlier visit.

The gorge area was remarkably quiet this morning, very little singing and few birds visible other than great tits. There was another drumming great spot at the top end of the gorge so hopefully there may be 3 pairs of birds in the area. I took the top path back towards the Castle rather than continue on the soggy trail to Roundhay Park Lane. Glad I did as I got some great views of a nuthatch examining the broken of top of a small silver birch. There must have been a largish cavity there as the bird disappeared completely before emerging and flying off towards a calling bird further up the slope. It was around here that I heard the first mistle thrush of the trip. As it was a distant bird I'd no chance of sighting it.

By now I was back to the Upper Lake, which had more ducks and gulls on it than before, the goosanders had also moved down to the island end of the lake. I took the path back through Ram Wood that skirts the edge of the golf course, I'd not gone more than 50 yards before I found a pair of mistle thrushes feeding on the ground. A bit further on I heard a drumming wood pecker again, possibly the first bird I heard earlier, this time I managed to locate the bird. High up in the canopy of a tree the bird was really going for it. With only seconds between each burst of drumming the bird didn't seem to flag at all. An answering drumroll from across the other side of the wood seemed to agitate the bird as it drummed just once more before flying off in the direction of the drumming.

 

[loiner]

Whilst on the path to the Castle I found a grey wagtail feeding in the stream that runs from the waterfall to Waterloo Lake. So this bird was still in the area, it would be good if a mate for it turned up as I reckon the habitat is just right for them.

On Saturday there was a pair by the stream in the Gorge, both birds flying off together towards Shadwell. Later at least one, possibly two, were heard on the stream that flows out of the upper lake (same or different?).
I just beat the scullers to the Waterloo Lake, where seven Cormorants were feeding before being disturbed and flying off. Only a couple of Goosanders and Great Crested Grebes (eight the previous weekend) otherwise.
Moderately quiet in the woods, one Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming and three very noisy birds in one tree, a few Nuthatches but only one decent tit flock.
Whilst doing my BTO squares this winter I have found good numbers of Blackbirds in most (40-50 in some) but am struggling to find any in the Park at present.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

The only place I'm finding blackbirds with any regularity in the park is right at the top end of the gorge where the path doubles back, there's usually at least a male around there. However I have seen both male and female birds in this area. Most of the rest of the Park being relatively blackbird free, only flyover birds being logged.

 

[walshey]

Hi Keith, interested in your observations as I live just outside the park, and see many of the same birds. I rarely go in the park to see birds (there's just so many people!) but concentrate my attention on the strip of woodland that follows Wyke beck southwards on the opposite side of Wetherby road from the dam. Mostly this is because part of it is my back garden, but also because you can stand here and not see anyone for 5-10 minute stretches. As a consequence I think its much more birdy than the woods actually in the park. Sparrowhawks and Tawny Owls are regular and both brought off 3 young last summer when the young Tawny Owl begging call was a familar sound. This spring, Long-tailed tits are building a nest by my garage, 2 pairs of Bullfinch are around and the Treecrepers, Nuthatches and GS Woodies are all about. Loads of the commoner stuff about like Robins, Titsx3, Dunnocks, Wrens and Blackbirds a plenty. Song Thrushes going hammer and tongs from dawn to dusk (and beyond).
Feeding birds around here can be a challenge, as any feeder not totally squirrel proof is a waste of time. I use those long tubes with a ring round the base for the birds to perch on, which when a squirrel stands on it, will descend and close the feeder holes. The birds obviously scatter some on the ground below, so the squirrels, Woodies and magpies still get some. During the snow the Jays and even the crows were coming down to this as well.
I see or hear (at night) some birds coming from the lake, flocks of geese fly over occasionally and Coots can be heard on their nightly wanderings. Also I have seen Goosander, Cormorants and Swans (once Whoopers) fly over the garden. Occasional waders seem to get attracted briefly by the lake, and I have (mostly just heard) Curlew, Whimberl, Blackwits, Golden Plover, Common & Green Sandpiper, and Oystercatcher.

Cheers, John

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Thanks John,
wish I was a little closer to the Park, only things I've ever heard from the Park when at home have been the bands playing in the arena..lol.
You could be right about the human traffic in the park, I do see more on those times that I can get down there early morning or mid-week when the park is very much less well used.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

I wasn't going to go out birding today as the mist is so bad, in places less than 30m visibility, but I got itchy feet just after lunch.

Had my normal walk down to the park, saw very little indeed but heard lots. Good numbers of blue tits, great tits and chaffinches in the gardens I passed, also a at least 2 jackdaws around somewhere.

Anyway to the park, the walk through Ram Wood got me at least 10 blue tits, 3 great tits, 2 robins and probably 2 wrens, none seen - all heard. I must have looked a right plonker as I stood cupping my ears to get some direction on the songs and calls.

The first bird I actually saw was a coot on the Upper Lake. I couldn't actually see the other end of the Lake, just a little further than the fountains. There were the usual pair of mute swans cruising close by the island, as well as in the region of 20 mallard and around half that of tufted duck. A tick for the Upper Lake were a couple of Canada geese that decided to drop in. Also quite nice to be able to get up close to moorhens, there were a couple feeding on the edge of the Lake and they didn't mind at all as I slowly approached them. In fact I stopped before they took fright, wish I'd brought a camera as I'd have been able to get a frame filler even with my little point and click. Wish the stock doves that were a little further round the Lake were as confiding, they flew before I got within 7m of them.

I followed the path down by the waterfall and along to the Castle, thankfully the visibility good enough here to pick out the grey wagtail feeding in the stream, that's my second sighting of one in this area, hope it bodes well for the summer. There were several jackdaws here but as I could only hear them I can only guess at numbers being around 5 birds but probably more. A bird to watch out for in the park is a carrion crow with partial albinism, it's primaries and secondaries are white with black tips, the alula is also white. Looks quite comical as it walks along, rather like a chap in a frock coat with his hands clasped under the tails of the coat. I've seen it on a couple of occasions, disappearing into the trees, but today was the first time I'd been able to get a good look at it.

The Gorge was very quiet, other than a couple of treecreepers right at the start there was little other birdlife around until I got to the top end. Then I started picking up chaffinches, and tits, including long tailed tits and a calling nuthatch and a distant great spotted woodpecker drumming. The latter bird may have been on the other side of the golf course it sounded so faint.

The return trip on the opposite side of the Gorge was a little better, picked up singing mistle thrush, a bullfinch's weak call and managed to find a great spotted woodpecker. Not the bird I heard drumming as this was in the opposite direction to the drumming, and the bird flew in from further away in the same direction. Along with numerous robins, I stopped counting after 10 singing birds, the day had been much better than expected. The only down side was the lack of great crested grebe, couldn't find them at all on Waterloo Lake, but as I didn't walk the entire Lake shore they may have been off in the mist somewhere.

Here's for better weather soon....please!

 

[walshey]

Hi Keith,

I've been hearing some Siskins recently from somewhere along the beck behind the house. Haven't been able to ascertain exactly where they hang out (not very mobile at mo - busted knee). Finally saw them today as 3 flew over towards the front of the house. Followed them as quickly as possible as thought they might go to the feeder at the front but they must have kept going, probably to the alders on the other side of the street, where the Goldfinches hang out. Anyway they're around and thought I heard some redpolls recently to go with them. Have seen both along the beck in the past.


Cheers,
John

 

[joespy]

Hi Keith, interested in your observations as I live just outside the park, and see many of the same birds. I rarely go in the park to see birds (there's just so many people!) but concentrate my attention on the strip of woodland that follows Wyke beck southwards on the opposite side of Wetherby road from the dam. Mostly this is because part of it is my back garden, but also because you can stand here and not see anyone for 5-10 minute stretches. As a consequence I think its much more birdy than the woods actually in the park. Sparrowhawks and Tawny Owls are regular and both brought off 3 young last summer when the young Tawny Owl begging call was a familar sound. This spring, Long-tailed tits are building a nest by my garage, 2 pairs of Bullfinch are around and the Treecrepers, Nuthatches and GS Woodies are all about. Loads of the commoner stuff about like Robins, Titsx3, Dunnocks, Wrens and Blackbirds a plenty. Song Thrushes going hammer and tongs from dawn to dusk (and beyond).
Feeding birds around here can be a challenge, as any feeder not totally squirrel proof is a waste of time. I use those long tubes with a ring round the base for the birds to perch on, which when a squirrel stands on it, will descend and close the feeder holes. The birds obviously scatter some on the ground below, so the squirrels, Woodies and magpies still get some. During the snow the Jays and even the crows were coming down to this as well.
I see or hear (at night) some birds coming from the lake, flocks of geese fly over occasionally and Coots can be heard on their nightly wanderings. Also I have seen Goosander, Cormorants and Swans (once Whoopers) fly over the garden. Occasional waders seem to get attracted briefly by the lake, and I have (mostly just heard) Curlew, Whimberl, Blackwits, Golden Plover, Common & Green Sandpiper, and Oystercatcher.

Cheers, John

Must be tough living there John........................still someone has to .......... I suppose.. Joe

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Not had a ramble for quite some time, due mainly to the pressures of home life although I'll own up to having done a bit of twitching as well.

Today my wife and I decided to brave the drizzle and have a look at the Chelsea Gardens area in the Park as they've just moved the Gold Medal winner form 2010 into the Park. An interesting trip for me as there were at least 2 mistle thrushes singing away, one above our heads in the canopy, the other some distance a way nearer the golf course.

Little persuasion needed to get the boss to have a walk down by the Upper Lake. What a mess of algae greeted us! There were fewer birds than I would have expected, hardly surprising given the state of the water. I counted less than 20 mallard, a pair of mute swan with 7 cygnets, 3 coot nests but there must be at least 4 pairs as one pair were feeding chicks out on the lake whilst all the nests were occupied by other pairs. Could only manage to find 1 pair of moorhen,with just a pair of chicks. There were less than 10 black-headed gulls present, non breeders I would imagine.

Walking up through Ram Wood we found a pair of great spotted woodpeckers along with a solitary bird that was trying it on with one of the pair. Nothing doing there though. Lots of activity from chaffinches, great and blue tits but little in the way of warblers noted. Did log some flyover goldfinches though.

 

[Keith Dickinson]

Toady's hour spent at the park was more a visit to a creche, there were juvenile birds almost everywhere.
On the Upper Lake the mute swans there had 7 cygnets, I counted 8+ young coot but could only find 3 adult birds. A downy moorhen chick was probably a second brood for the resident pair as on my last visit the chicks I found then were well out of down and almost fully fledged. Only a handful of black-headed gulls were loafing on the fountain.
The walk through the Gorge produced juvenile robins in several places so they've had a good year. Only found the 1 wren though so I reckon they've been hit by last winter. There were numerous blue tits and great tits but none of them stayed still long enough to age them, same with the chaffinches.
Emerging from the Gorge at the top of Waterloo Lake there were more young coot and also a flock of Canada geese, no downy young but there a few of the birds that looked like they were newly fledged, sort of bright and clean looking. The walk around Waterloo Lake enabled me to find a lone great crested grebe and one chick, couldn't find another adult but as there is plenty of overhanging foliage it could have been under this and invisible to me. There were up to 4 pairs of tufted duck but no sign of any ducklings. The mallards on here were also without young. The pair of mute swan by the boat house had 4 cygnets with them. Also by the boathouse on the grass were a group of around 20 carrion crows, some of which had matching white areas to their primaries so I guess they must have been related possibly? No jackdaws seen or heard today and the only nuthatch was single distant bird calling as I approached the Park along Mansion Lane.
Glad to see the numbers of young birds, but wish the parks department would do something about the claggy areas of both lakes, they stink!

 

[Keith Dickinson]

I'm finding that I am getting less time to visit the Park as can be seen from the posts and their infrequency. I'm going to let this thread slip off the radar and start another thread which will be more of a blog type thing of all my birding. Before I abandon this thread I will post a link to the new thread/blog.

 

[bitterntwisted]

There was a teal at the south end of the lake last week, Keith. Not sure if that quite re-ignites the fire.