Bird Watching in the Regent’s Park

  Introduction  

 

Regent’s Park, situated in the heart of London and away from the river, does not seem ideally positioned to attract birds other than those that are typical of urban parkland. Nothing could be further from the truth! For many years this park has attracted the attention of birdwatchers who, like the birds, are drawn to the parks varying habitats. Their dedication and observations have produced an annual tally exceeding 110 species and the overall park list now stands at 192.

Birds that are flying over London tend to follow rivers or canals as they can then stop off and feed to replenish their body fat. Reservoirs are another habitat that birds are attracted to. A high percentage of bird movement over the park consists of birds flying either north-east in the spring or south-west in the autumn. Looking at a map of the London area, you can see this links up Barn Elms, Queen Mary’s and Staines reservoirs in the south-west, and the Lea valley chain of reservoirs and gravel pits in the north-east.

Birdwatching at any time of year can be rewarding, although, as you would expect, the middle of summer can be quiet, as also can winter months. However, if a period of severe cold weather occurs then it is possible to get a large movement of redwings and fieldfares. Lapwings and skylarks used to be fairly numerous at these times but now, probably due to today’s farming methods, sightings have been much reduced.

The park contains a wide range of habitats, including two man-made lakes. On the larger (twenty-two acres), boating is allowed in some parts and there are several islands, two wooded and four of a more scrub-like nature, that attract migrants as well as breeding species including stock dove, heron, and blackcap. Rowing is restricted to the central part of the lake to allow the waterfowl and any scarcer ducks or waders (e.g. dabchick, teal and common sandpiper) an opportunity to feed without being disturbed. The herons also like to loaf on the edge of these islands. The first pair nested here in 1967, and since then they have increased to an average of 22 pairs. Due to the demise of the elm trees that they preferred to nest on, they have now been forced to move to the island nearest to the bandstand allowing excellent views during the first five months of the year. Each arm of the lake is fenced off and the areas in the north-east and north-west hold a splendid collection of ornamental waterfowl of more than seventy species. This enables any bird watcher the chance to study species of waterfowl of similar appearance at close quarters(e.g. lesser and greater Scaup), especially when the birds moult into their eclipse plumage and can be very difficult to identify. The small pond in Queen Mary’s Gardens, one of the most cultivated areas of the park, also holds a small collection of waterfowl that are very approachable.

 

  
Guided Walk (click here for map of park and key locations)  
 

The park contains many areas that are excellent for spotting birds. To walk around the whole park would take a few hours. Here is a short walk covering some of the key locations:

We start our walk at Clarence Gate at the northern end of Baker Street.

 
  Here you may be greeted by large numbers of waterfowl including canada and greylag geese, coots, tufted ducks, and pochards. There could also be red crested pochards and whooper swan; these are part of the waterfowl collection. Heron often gather here, sometimes numbering as many as 20 birds. In recent years herons have begun to come for food. From here we cross the bridge, turn left, and walking on to the grass past the bandstand to our first view point.  

 

by the bandstand

 

 Standing here during the early part of the day, especially before 9am, (most bird movement happens before this time), allows good views over the lake and to the islands as the sun is behind you. These islands can hold some interesting birds during spring and autumn: chiffchaffs, willow, wood and garden warblers, blackcaps, lesser whitethroats and sedge warblers. The banks of these provide common sandpipers a chance for a brief stop during May and August. The posts with connecting chains permit excellent views of Cormorant during winter months. The lake to the right of these chains gives wild waterfowl a chance to feed away from public disturbance e.g. ruddy duck, wigeon, teal, shoveler and little grebe. We move on from here by ascending up the hill and turning left onto the Inner Circle where the gardens of The Holme also attract migrant birds, warblers, flycatchers, goldcrests and if you are very lucky, firecrest, as well as four species of tit.

We continue along the path entering the park at the next gate and heading down the hill to Long Bridge. We have now reached our second view point.

 
Standing here provides the opportunity to observe some of the park's collection of waterfowl. They are separated from the main lake by a low fence. The area beyond may look quiet by comparison but this stretch of water tends to attract any of our scarcer visiting wild waterfowl as it’s away from human activity. Here the occasional eurasian wigeon, gadwall and pintail may turn up. In 2003 a lesser scaup spent several weeks here. If the wind is blowing from a favourable direction during spring and autumn, north-east to south –east, then swallows, martins and swifts can be seen feeding over the water. With these sometimes comes a bird that preys on them, the hobby. The willow trees at either end of the bridge can hold chiffchaff, willow, sedge and reed warblers. During the early part of the year it’s worth checking the alder and silver birch trees for that charming little bird, the siskin.

long bridge

 
From here turn around and walk back up the hill towards the Inner Circle, turn left before the park exit, and follow the path. The fenced-off area on the left has small flocks of red-breasted, ross’s and hawaiian geese. The large willow tree in the centre of the pen has, since 2002, held a wintering little owl with a second bird present in 2004. A little further along, just past a large tree by the path, you are able to view our newly created wetland and rough grassland area. It has already attracted green sandpiper. Kestrels are often seen searching for food, or perched in the trees that border this site.
Carry on walking until you come to a fork in the path, keep to the left, and midway round the bend you have reached our third view point.

enclosed plantation

With the plantation on one side, and the island on the other, this area can be very rewarding, especially during migration. Birds that have been sighted here include kingfisher (usually juveniles), redstart, whinchat and pied and spotted flycatchers.

The plantation has a feeding station that attracts finches, tits, and woodpeckers. Up to 30 stock doves sometimes feed on the ground here, and bramblings can occur during the winter months.

During October small groups of redwings, blackbirds and song thrushes, from the continent, can be seen feeding on the hawthorns. It is worth walking all the way around the plantation. This is an area not to be rushed.

Once you have walked around the plantation, head out on to the open spaces to the area where the sports pitches are situated, view point four.
This area is relatively undisturbed by the public during the early hours of the morning. For this reason it attracts northern wheatears in spring, and from late April their close relative the greenland wheatear may be present. Lapwings also put in short appearances in this area, as well as snipe, yellow and white wagtails, and meadow and tree pipits. The area’s main attraction, however, is that you can observe the whole sky without any obstruction, allowing you the chance to see daytime migration over London which generally occurs from dawn until 11am. Sometimes birds can stream through all day long. The species involved are usually swallows, house martins, fieldfares, redwings, chaffinches, greenfinches, and, in slightly fewer numbers, meadow pipits. Rare birds that have been seen flying over the park are common crane, goshawk, red and black kite, osprey, hen harrier, honey buzzard, red-footed falcon, whimbrel, greenshank, oystercatcher, sandwich tern and kittiwake.

sports pitches

 
We carry on by heading to the one area of woodland in the park. Though not very large, it gives birds a chance to breed undisturbed as it is closed to the public except on guided walks. This, our fifth view point, lies just beyond the golf and tennis school.

woodland, golf and tennis school

 

 It is worth checking out the trees just in front of the woodland (mountain ash, hawthorn) as they bear fruit and attract birds such as fieldfare, redwing, song and mistle thrush, blackbird and a bird that is more at home on the moors, ring ouzel (although these are extremely rare). The tall line of lime trees running along the slope acts as a wind-break, and keeps the area fairly sheltered, giving insectivorous birds such as spotted flycatcher, chiffchaff and wood warbler a chance to feed. Where the limes meet the fence there is an area of scrub and a small drinking pool, which acts like a magnet on warm summer and autumn days, making it possible to obtain good views of the more skulking type of birds including lesser and common whitethroat, blackcap and garden warbler. It is also where parties of long-tailed tits can be seen. There is also another feeding station in the taller willows just before the path.

We leave heading south until we come to the tall fence that separates Winfield House from the park. Follow the path to the left until you reach a tall coniferous hedge. We have now reached our sixth and final view point. Standing and looking through the gap in the hedge is an area sheltered from the winds that blow from a southerly direction. It is best watched before 11am on a sunny morning during autumn when a tall hawthorn, which lies behind the taller security fence, attracts goldcrests and various warblers, tits, and flycatchers.

Continue along the path. Just before the public conveniences there is a board displaying recent sightings of birds together with a map indicating where these birds might be seen if still present. Fifty yards further along before going over the blue bridge there is another feeding station in a holly tree. Crossing the two short bridges gives you the chance to view another selection of the park’s ornamental waterfowl. From here you may also see kingfishers at the far end of the lake, as well as siskins and great spotted woodpeckers. Soaring high overhead, it is sometimes possible to see one of the park’s resident pair of sparrowhawks which nest in the protected grounds of Winfield House. Once across the bridge, follow the path along the lakeside and back to the starting point, always keeping an eye out over the lake for birds that use it for feeding. Common terns can be seen fishing here in July before taking their food back to their young at Brent Reservoir, three miles away.

The park can be very rewarding, although you do need to be lucky to see some of the birds that have been mentioned.
I hope you have enjoyed your tour.