Birding 15-March-2009, Kromslootpark, Almere

15-March-2009
Kromslootpark, Almere.
A deceptive sunny morning with respect to the cold. I nearly left my warm scarf and hat in the car, but was I glad I took them with me. My gait was steadfast but not hurried as there was much to enjoy and digest. Angry grey lags welcomed me to leave as I arrived. Unperturbed I pressed on and was met with even more geese and a lone lapwing, a first this year (2009) in the park. Coots and Tufted abound as usual. A robin, singing at last. Blue, great and long tailed tits, voor geen goud….Corvids, Carrion Crows watching me. Are Jays and magpies corvids? No Hooded, no Raven, no Jackdaws, they only like houses. Song thrushes, many singing. Wrens making a comeback, so silent in January, are not any more. Deep down in undergrowth hidden from prying eyes but not from prying ears. What is that I hear, it couldn’t be, but it is time they were back, yes indeed a Chiffchaff. Loud and clear, high as can be. A clear sign to the winter, your days are numbered. Blackbirds also deep in undergrowth emit a strange single note so unlike their song, no song just a warning. Water hens, goldies, greenies, they are everywhere and yet so hard to see. A repetitive chirp, new kid on the block I would say, far seeing glasses to the rescue, yes, another sign, on the highest twig on the highest branch on not the highest bush, nevertheless a Reed bunting in practice, and another, and another how many is that now…a female skulks in the reeds, scared in a new land. The second lake holds 120 Tufted duck. Will they all stay for the summer holidays? One widgeon amongst them. Where are all the mallard gone? A high pitched single note, first strong then getting weaker, what does that mean? Well if it is noted along a stretch of water I would tend to think of a kingfisher. No sighting though. Must ask Wim. Also about that mysterious nondescript brown bird which say 2 weeks ago flying away from me, the size of a skylark, today 2 of them, tree top height, straight line, what is it? Could it be a tree lark. Definitely not singing like a lark.
Jus round the corner a frenzied Kingfisher darts back up stream well above head height, to where the first doubts were sown. See there you go, not so bad after all. The gadwell lake (later on in the park) holds 25 gadwell. There are no other ducks with them. S the tufted duck and the gadwell agree to disagree, and are living apart now. Quite a sizeable flock I would say, a pure race indeed. Once again where are all the mallard gone? Two buzzards dancing together in the air, their presence a give away by the short “plaintive mewing” (as described by Kirkman & Jourdain – British birds) though I have been fooled by Jays plaintively mewing as well especially in the early part of the year. But what is that in the sky near them, and heading my way, is it a harrier, viewed from almost the same position as two weeks ago? No it is a goshawk, hunting up and down the wooded south section of the park, and there is another one, following the first that has landed in the meantime, I mean in the meantime in the tree. So large, so graceful powerful, dangerous. I have to go back and look, no need they are coming back over my head, ranging, stopping, off again. Phew, what a sight, clearly one larger that the other, a pair, not exactly “baltzing” but jointly hunting. While the binoculars are pointing skywards time for some more observations, lesser black backed gull, cormorants, and I think curlew. Heading on back home, a lone startling passes by. More Reed buntings in a separate field of rushes. A lone greenfinch resplendent in the low morning sun chirrs on top of a bush. Extra virgin olive oil. My lone lapwing is still on the plain, calling to who ever would like to hear. Could this be a nest. To be continued.