Christchurch Park - Early Spring

 

A pair of MADARIN DUCKS

 

The Wilderness Pond in Christchurch park is an artificial lake, with wooded islands, and is absolutely jam packed with birds. It is the best bird watching site in Ipswich, just a short walk from the town centre.





There are three TURTLES living in the pond. In the summer months they spend their time sunning themselves on a log.

 

The most obvious birds are the CANADA GEESE with seven pairs present on the Pond this year. There is a large squadron of mongrel MALLARDS of various plumages. There are also three pair of MANDARIN DUCKS, surely the most beautiful of British birds. They originate from China, where they are not doing so well, and now the breeding population in the UK is of some importance. All these wildfowl gorge themselves on the food given to them by the many families that visit the park.

 

 Nesting COOT - the first ever in Christchurch Park

 

A pair of COOT turned up at the end of January. This is unusual enough as its a very rare bird here. But the birds stayed and ended up nesting! This is the first case of this species nesting here in the long history of the park. On 14 March a pair of LITTLE GREBE were briefly present, a young pair prospecting for a new breeding site, but didn't stick around.

 SNAKES-HEAD FRITTILLERY -  there is a small fen area near the Pond

 

 

Unfortunately at the beginning of March a pair of LESSER BLACK BACKED GULLS turned up. They nest on the roofs of buildings around the park and are the main reason so few young birds are raised here - the gulls eat them all.

Whenever I am in town I always drop in here as it provides such a tranquil retreat from the hustle and bustle just an arms throw away. Its always an interesting place and although it might not have the birds of a more rural location, provides an important habitat for the town.