BIRD THE WORLD
KE Y SPECIE S
It’s made headlines in recent times for football and Richard III, but Leicester is also a city that shouldn’t be overlooked by birdwatchers WORDS: DAVID LINDO
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86 June 2017
David Lindo
Even peering through the fence of a building site can pay birding dividends
Summer solstice sunrise over Sileby from Cossington Meadows
Russell F Spencer
EICESTER IS A melting pot. It is one of the most multicultural urban centres in the UK and the county of Leicestershire has some of the quaintest villages and most gorgeous countryside in the country. The city itself has also seen some ups and downs; most notably the recent demise of their football team, fallen from the dizzy heights of being Premier League Champions. Fortunately, its birdlife has enjoyed more successes than failures. Although both Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Spotted Flycatcher appear to have been lost to the city as breeders, Peregrines now nest in the city. They originally bred in a derelict hotel. Unfortunately, they chose to nest uncharacteristically low down on the building’s structure and their nest’s eventual demise was probably brought on by the unwanted attention of ‘eggers’ emboldened by its convenient accessibility. The Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society stepped in and sited a nesting box in Leicester Cathedral, that was immediately patronised by the birds. Now, the Peregrines are listed as one of the cultural delights of visiting Leicester, and they and their families are the stars of a well watched Peregrine webcam. But it is not just the world’s fastest animal that is repopulating the city. The Black Redstart, one of Britain’s rarest breeding birds has also returned. A couple of pairs now grace the city with their presence. Situated within sight of the city centre, and backing onto the University of Leicester, is Victoria Park. At 69 acres it is a municipal green space with a promising small area of wet woodland. Look for warbler movement during migration. The underwatched park has pulled in a Wood Warbler, and last winter attracted a party of Waxwings. Welford Road Cemetery is another underwatched birding gem. It derserves regular surveillance, as there were some good scrubby areas around the graves that were less well attended. Evington Park with an open-air gym and manicured gardens looks like another unlikely spot for wildlife. However, the garden sports a couple of small ponds each housing
DAVID SAYS
LITTLE EGRET This small white egret is now an everyday part of life for the vast majority of British birders. It is now unthinkable that before the 1990s it was deemed as a national rarity. Indeed, the species only began to breed in the UK as recently as 1996, when a small colony formed on Brownsea Island, Dorset. They are gradually spreading northward, with a breeding population in excess of 700 pairs. Perhaps less well known is the fact that we receive a sizable number of birds from the continent for the winter, swelling numbers to nearly 5,000 birds. Further afield, the Little Egret is found throughout the wetlands of southern Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. In the Americas, it is replaced by the Snowy Egret, its sister-species. Although it is a commonly seen species within its European range it wasn’t always that way. It was heavily hunted to the point of extinction for the plume industry during the 19th century. An anti-hunting protest group was formed in Didsbury, Manchester, by a group of ladies who successfully fought to end the trade in the feathers of the Little Egret, Great Crested Grebes and other species. Their group formed the foundations of what eventually became the RSPB.
Paul Watkins Photography / Alamy
Ruben Cebrian
LEICESTER
populations of both Crested and Smooth Newts. On the avian front, a Yellow-browed Warbler once turned up in a hedge near the newts and a Pied Flycatcher was a recent find. But it is not just the inner city green spaces that are worth checking out, as some of the city’s brownfield sites could also be worth a scan. These sites are, of course, transitional, with their peak attraction to wildlife only lasting for a set period of time before they are plastered in concrete. One such site was Grove Park that, six years ago, provided sanctuary for breeding Little Ringed Plover, foraging Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtails, plus wintering Snipe and even Jack Snipe on its artificial flooded meadow. There are still a few brownfield sites remaining, but they are being built upon at a quickening pace. The rough land around the industrial estate at Rothley Lodge is also worth investigating, as it can hold Little Ringed Plover and, during the winter, Lapwing and possible Golden Plover. Meanwhile, the derelict land on the Raynesway Estate is sometimes also a venue for Little Ringed Plover and migrant Wheatears during the spring. Close to Raynesway Estate is Watermead Country Park, a well renowned spot for local birders who dub it ‘Pec Pits’ in honour of the couple of Pectoral Sandpipers that chose to hang out there a few years ago. It is a network of artificial lakes in the valley of the River Soar and the Grand Union Canal. The southern-most of the lakes is often referred to as Mammoth Lake, due to the presence of a statue of a large mammoth on top of a small hill by the lake. This elephantine landmark is also the venue for some good visible migration opportunities. The autumnal hirundine
Ruben Cebrian
THE URBAN BIRDER VISITS
numbers can be impressive, plus city rarities like Rock Pipit, Yellowhammer and Corn Bunting have all been recorded transiting over. If you find that your urban birding becomes too overwhelming, you could always opt for a nice cup of tea at the King’s Lock Tea Rooms. You can still enjoy birding as it overlooks the flooded meadows of the similarly-named nature reserve. Passage Ring Ouzels are annual and it is a great place to observe winter thrushes, soaring Buzzards (left) and Little Egrets on the River Soar that have recently spread throughout Leicester. Perhaps the chief place to visit is Cossington Meadows. Situated on the city’s outskirts, it is a 70-acre Leicester and Rutland Wildlife Trust nature reserve on the floodplain of the River Soar. In common with a lot of the main birding sites around the city, it is a reclaimed area of flooded gravel and sand extraction pits. During the winter, a fair amount of waterfowl gather including Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Gadwall and Shoveler. Raptors are attracted to this site too with Peregrine, Kestrel and Hobby all being recorded, and Short-eared Owls are not unknown here. Rarities have included Black-winged Pratincole and Little Bittern. At the time of writing, a solitary Glossy Ibis (above left) has been residing here, roosting with the Grey Herons over at Watermead CP for the past six months.
THANKS TO... John Hague for taking me to the parts of Leicester that rarely get scanned by binoculars. More information on birding in Leicester: Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society: web lros.org.uk Leicester Local RSPB Group: web: rspb.org.uk/ groups/leicester/ Reference guides: Collins Bird Guide – Lars Svensson, Killian Mullarney & Dan Zetterström
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