Does Regent's Park have something that wild birds find irresistible?

[Deb London]

This is a question about something that has puzzled me for a long while. It concerns the sheer range of wild bird species identified at Regent's Park in London.

This is an aerial view of the park:



I can't see anything out of the ordinary. I live in a similarly built-up area. And the areas I choose to go bird watching when in London are less built up.

BUT

This park attracts the most diverse range of birds, many seem to be passing through. These are some of what are to me the more interesting species of bird seen there just in the last month.

2 Arctic Terns,
Common Sandpiper,
pr Wheatears,
Yellow Wagtail,
Meadow Pipit
22 Whimbrel east
Wryneck
Garden Warbler,
Lesser Whitethroat,
Tree Pipit,
Linnet
Common Buzzard,
Red Kite,
3 Reed Warblers,
Tawny Owl + 3 owlets and another adult roosting,
Ring Ouzel
Peregrine Falcon,
4 Lesser Redpoll
Willow Warbler
Marsh Harrier,
m Common Redstart
Cuckoo

This has been going on for years. I watch enviously as species are discovered there that I have only dreamt of seeing. Recently the Wryneck was reported and now I just have to know JUST WHAT IS SO SPECIAL about this place? Does its wildfowl collection attract other species? Is it elevated or on a migration route? Is it something to do with the zoo? Is there a combination of habitats that the birds find attractive? Maybe the birders there are particularly eagle-eyed? Or is there nothing at all remarkable about the collection of species seen from there and I am just blind when I search my area? Possibly I miss several Wrynecks and Yellow Wagtails on my way to work each week. :P

Any thoughts welcomed.

[nikolai_avenger]

I would suggest that probably due to the large amount of people frequenting the place, nothing much is missed?

It's the same with a couple of the more popular places round here, loads of amazing stuff noted on their websites, but I see 'not a lot' on the occasions that I go.

Cheers. Nik.

[Deb London]

Ahh, thanks Nik for the suggestion. But a couple of the other royal parks are busier. So maybe it's not the full answer.

I have had another thought. Since many of the other royal parks are more crowded, is it possible that the birds shun these for being too busy and stop of for a rest in the relative oasis of the more remote parts of this park?

[bigdave60dog]

Haven`t been there for huge number of years.
If they still have the Zoo with aviaries that will be the answer. Birds always attract birds in any situation. When they are travelling this even more so. Just watch a "wildlife corridor" for while and you will see birds always travel in groups, often of mixed species and families.
(a bit like buses).
The other thing that occurred to me is that keen ornithologist has set up stand in the area. If you just sit in your garden with a pair of binoculars and record everything that you see in day, you will be surprised at that result.
Dave

[Richard Baber]

I've wondered about it too. There's not much I miss about no longer working in London, but Regent's Park is at the top of the list.

The wildlife officers are certainly eagle-eyed and Tony is very adept with his camera - did you see the photo on his blog of the flock of whimbrel? They'd have been long gone by the time I'd got my camera up and ready. And what I would have given to see the wryneck - I've not seen one yet. According to 'The Birds of Regent's Park', one was seen in 1994 but I don't know if there have been any sightings since then. The book also says that wrynecks bred at North End, Hampstead as recently as 1908.

The park does indeed have a wide range of habitat, which they've been working to diversify further, such as introducing the rail ditch (which has successfully attracted water rails) and developing and enlarging the wetland area into the largest in central London. Kingfisher sightings are now common too.

I can't answer your other questions, but I hope others can as I'd like to know more about why this park is such a gem.

Richard

[Deb London]

Originally Posted by bigdave60dog

Haven`t been there for huge number of years.
If they still have the Zoo with aviaries that will be the answer. Birds always attract birds in any situation. When they are travelling this even more so. Just watch a "wildlife corridor" for while and you will see birds always travel in groups, often of mixed species and families.
(a bit like buses).
The other thing that occurred to me is that keen ornithologist has set up stand in the area. If you just sit in your garden with a pair of binoculars and record everything that you see in day, you will be surprised at that result.
Dave

Thanks Dave. It does indeed have collections of birds.

I have sat with my binoculars and watched for hours at a time. I am not surprised at the result I get, as it's invariably "not a lot". So that's a vote for the "I am blind" option I think.

[FUDGEY]

It will also be like an Oasis in the concrete jungle for passing migrants.

[Deb London]

Thanks FUDGEY. I think this must be an important factor.

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by Deb London

Ahh, thanks Nik for the suggestion. But a couple of the other royal parks are busier. So maybe it's not the full answer.

I think there's a bit of a self-perpetuating reputation going on. By which I mean that because Regent's Park has such a good reputation for the variety of birds seen there, it's where bird watchers visiting London are more likely to go. Therefore more gets seen there which feeds back into its reputation.

But I also think the zoo aviary, the heronry and the waterfowl collection probably do act as a magnet for passing birds too.

Dave P.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by Deb London

Recently the Wryneck was reported and now I just have to know JUST WHAT IS SO SPECIAL about this place? Does its wildfowl collection attract other species? Is it elevated or on a migration route? Is it something to so with the zoo? Is there a combination of habitats that the birds find attractive? Maybe the birders there are particularly eagle-eyed? Or is there nothing at all remarkable about the collection of species seen from there and I am just blind when I search my area? Possibly I miss several Wrynecks and Yellow Wagtails on my way to work each week. :P

Any thoughts welcomed.

You have pretty much covered everything in the section of your post that I have quoted above, with the wildfowl collecton, zoo, and elevation the least relevant (though possibly the wildfowl collection and zoo help in a few cases).

All of the species that you have listed could potentially be recorded at any similar site within the urban sprawl of London (or any other built up area), and during the spring and autumn migrations I would expect many of them to pass through every site with a suitable area of habitat, or overhead in the case of some of the larger species.

Basically the main factors are that the observers are particularly experienced and visit almost daily, and there is enough variety of habitat to suit different species (in the specific case of Regents Park it is largely one single observer who produces the bulk of the interesting records). Try comparing the list of species to other sites in London that get similar regular coverage from one or more experienced observers eg. Wanstead Flats and (until recently) Stoke Newington Reservoirs.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that you are blind when you search your area - but you may not be as quick to pick out birds calling as they pass over, and perhaps might overlook a bird that is only glimpsed briefly and not realise that it is something a little bit more unusual than the birds that you are used to seeing.