In the second of his monthly instalment of nature walks in Blackpool, Stephen Dunstan takes a circular stroll around Stanley Park.
February is a good time to visit the park to observe wintering birds before they begin to depart. This ‘circular’ walk starts from the car park by the Art Deco Café. Walking from here to the lakeside gives an initial opportunity to look for woodland birds. You may be fortunate to hear the screeching calls of Ring-necked Parakeets, which have established themselves in the park in recent years. They are easiest to see as they move between different parts of the park, once settled their bright green feathering blends in surprisingly well.
Among the swans and Mallard ducks at the southern corner of the lake there are frequently good numbers of gulls. The larger Herring Gulls normally keep their distance, but the Black-headed Gulls are more confiding.
Over the years many of these have been ringed so that there movements can be tracked. All the sequences begin with 2 and have three following letters, if you are able to read them you can get an instant life history by submitting your sightings here. Some will only have been recorded in the park, but others have been seen back at breeding grounds in Scandinavia.
Passing the bridge to the north section of the lake this is closed to boating. This and the levels of weed growth attract large numbers of ducks and Moorhens. Shoveler (below) have comical looking spatulate shaped bills, and the males are quite striking with Mallard like green heads and chestnut flanks to their white bodies.
Gadwall are usually more numerous but are easily overlooked because even the drakes are almost uniformly grey – they do however have a subtle beauty seen well at close range. Moorhens are black birds smaller than the ducks with red bills, there are also good numbers of similar Coot which are larger with white bills.
Passing the island it’s difficult to miss the high rise nest sites of the Grey Herons. The Stanley Park heronry is the largest in Blackpool. In fact probably the only one in the borough is on the island of the small lake on the Kincraig estate. The birds are usually still pairing up or egg laying with hatching in March, but the adult birds can be seen well pair bonding or sat on the nest.
Once you’ve completed the circuit of the north part of the lake it’s an option to head over the bridge to cut the walk short. If you continue on the suggested route you briefly leave the park and walk down East Park Drive to the edge of the model village. As you pass the Model Village grounds listen for the high pitched songs and calls of the Goldcrest, Britain’s smallest bird which is regular in the conifers. As you make your way back to the car park keep an eye open for other woodland species including Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker – the strident ‘check’ call of the latter is an easy way to locate them once learned.
Please observe any restriction on access to the lakeside during bird flu outbreaks, if these are in place there will be clear signage. For more on the bird life of Stanley Park, view our gallery here.
