Holland Park

From Londonbirders

Map: [1]

Holland park is a small urban park of woodland adjoining the Commonwealth Institute. Slightly underwatched, the leafy walks hold the core woodland species.

Holland Park, off Kensington High Street,is easily accessible by bus and underground. It consists of 21.74 hectares of woodland, ornamental gardens, lawns, paths, sportsfield and a number of ponds. Most of the woodland is at the northern end of the park which also includes a wildlife reserve to which the public has limited access. There is a pond in the wildlife reserve, another in the northern woodland (Lord Holland's Pond) and a third in the ornamental Kyoto Garden. There are additional ornamental ponds near the Orangery and in the grounds of the Youth Hostel. The park is popular with the public, particularly in summer, and the best time for birdwatching is when the park opens, usually at 7.30 am.

Species known to have bred in 2005 were moorhen, woodpigeon, feral pigeon, tawny owl (probably), great spotted woodpecker, wren, dunnock, robin, blackbird, song thrush, mistle thrush, blackcap, goldcrest, long tailed tit, coal tit (probably), blue tit, great tit, jay, magpie, carrion crow, starling (nearby), chaffinch, greenfinch. Winter visitors include lesser black backed, herring, black headed and common gulls and redwing. Other fairly regular visitors include stock dove, green woodpecker, grey heron, mallard, rose ringed/ring necked parakeet, chiffchaff and this year, for the first time for several years, goldfinch. Occasional visitors are sparrowhawk, kestrel, pied and grey wagtail. On 8 May 2006, for the first time in the park, 3 Egyptian geese. Swifts can be seen overhead, usually in early summer. Cormorants may also be seen overhead, probably on their way to Kensington Gardens.

List for 2006 so far as at 2 August consists of the above excluding lesser black backed gull and the wagtails = 39 species.

D J