Welsh Harp and Fryent CP - from teacups to statues

On Saturday May 16th, the first weekend after the lockdown restrictions were eased I decided to get up early and go for a long walk over the Welsh Harp and Fryent Country Park. I began at Neasden Rec, watching a pair of foxes take advantage of the continued closure of the sailing base by treating it as their own private playground. Common Terns were patrolling over the reservoir and Swifts scythed through the sky. All that was missing was the sun which had decided to have a lie-in under its fluffy cloud duvet.

Foxes in the sailing base

The cooler conditions did somewhat suppress the dawn chorus but I could still hear Cetti’s Warblers blasting, Reed Warblers chugging, Blackcaps singing heartily, Whitethroats scratching and Chiffchaffs, er, going chiff-chaff. Having made daily walks through this area since lockdown it’s been interesting to watch the vegetation change during the course of spring. Blackthorn blossom was replaced by Hawthorn, umbellifers have started flowering, mostly Cowparsley and I spotted a patch of the purple-blotched stems of Hemlock growing near the North Circular Road. Surprisingly this poisonous plant wasn’t used by one of Neasden’s most infamous residents, the so-called ‘Teacup Poisoner’ who killed four people and harmed many others by lacing their tea with a variety of poisons.

Hemlock

I made my way over to West Hendon Playing Fields which were now starting to be populated by family parties of Starlings, the juveniles uttering their distinctive calls. Cutting through Church Lane Recreation Ground I approved of the wildflower planting done by Brent Council which is very insect friendly. It was too chilly for anything to be flying when I went past so I’ll have to come back at a more suitable time.

Wild flowers in Church Lane Rec

I arrived at Fryent CP just after eight while it was still relatively empty of people. I turned left past the paddocks and up to the wooded Beane Hill where I noticed a Sweet Chestnut tree, the first one I’ve seen locally. I carried on down through the hay meadows which had grown up a lot since my first visit and were looking more suitable for a repeat visit by a Common Quail, one of which was found singing here in 1983. Amongst the buttercups were several purple flowers which were beyond my meagre botany identification skills.

Hay meadows

Purple flower

Sweet Chestnut

I came across a pond that I’d not previously discovered before which looked suitable for a Reed Warbler but there wasn’t one at home. Funnily enough Reed Warbler wasn’t on the list of birds recorded at Fryent CP until I heard one singing in a hedgerow last week. It was presumably a migrant as it was in abnormal habitat.

Pond with Common Reed growing in it

I climbed up the other side to the more open Gotfordes Hill. The cloud was beginning to break up as the sun rose from its long slumber but there were few birds flying over other than the odd gull. I walked anti-clockwise around the perimeter and crossed over the road reaching the northwest corner which abuts the Jubilee Line. From here I headed up the wooded slopes of Barn Hill. A family of Mistle Thrushes were feeding on the ground while a Nuthatch was performing arboreal gymnastics way up in the canopy. I located two active Great Spotted Woodpecker nests so the local birds seem to be having a good breeding season, a bit like Covid-19.

Jubilee Line train heading north to Kingsbury station

Juvenile Mistle Thrush

At the top of the hill a Grey Heron was playing statues in the pond, while among the dozing Mallard I saw a pair of Gadwall, the first ones I’ve seen here. By now it was mid-morning and it had warmed up, bringing a lot more people out so I decided I’d had enough and headed home.

Grey Heron