We go to Birkenhead Park a lot, but there is always something worth looking at. Today, although the trees were mostly still bare, here and there buds were breaking and a pale green flush of life was gradually creeping over the landscape. Daffodils were coming out, and this Periwinkle was peeping out from a hedge.
On the lakeside opposite the Roman Boathouse families with toddlers were indulging in the time-worn ritual of “feeding the ducks”, using great slabs of supermarket white bread. Their customers were a few Mallards and a large group of noisy Canada Geese, who were pushing, shoving and honking to get at the food on offer. Just along from there is a special tree on the wide bank, carefully protected in a cage, with a sign saying it was planted as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy project in 2022, her Platinum Jubilee year, after seventy years on the throne. We have never identified its species, but today we went through a fisherman’s gate and got up close to it. Although its buds were just breaking, with interesting-looking contents, its identity is still a mystery. (Added later. Thanks to Margaret who found this article from the Birkenhead News, suggesting the tree is a Rowan, with a fascinating history.)
In the trees around the main lake were the usual Magpies, Wood Pigeons and Crows, Robins, Blue Tits, Great Tits and a Long-tailed Tit. Both Nuthatches and Greenfinches were calling. On the water were Mallards, more Canada Geese, Coots and Moorhens. There were a dozen or more adult Lesser Black-backed gulls and 20-30 adult Herring Gulls, all looking very smart and aloof, but lowering themselves to bicker with the pigeons for bread.
Near the rockery there were a couple of fenced-off beds on the lake bank with what looked like young Azaleas in them. They will look great when they are established, but clearly need protection from the birds at this early stage. Nearby is another Queen’s Platinum Jubilee tree, a Holm Oak planted in April 2022 by the Friends of the park.
On the way back to the Visitor’ Centre we spotted the remains of the old Mulberry tree which had come down in the winter storms. A pile of its cut-up logs had been left to rot about a hundred yards away to the east, but identifiable as the Mulberry by their distinctive knobbly bark. Why so far away from its original site? After lunch we crossed over to the Upper Park and spotted a tree in early blossom opposite the Victorian post box. It might be some sort of Crab Apple, or is it a Callery Pear, which is often early to bloom and is commonly planted as a small street tree?
On the upper lake were the usual birds, but the gulls were mostly juveniles, there were a few Tufted Duck and a single juvenile Mute Swan. In a quiet corner a Little Grebe was diving. It doesn’t have the reddish head of an adult in breeding plumage, so perhaps it’s one of last year’s youngsters.
We heard a Woodpecker drumming, and though we knew where it must be, but couldn’t see it until it flew off. Always the way! A lovely Weeping Willow was turning yellow-green with new leaves, and a lady was sketching it.
We headed back to the station through the ornamental Alfred Holt Garden. Some Horse Chestnut buds were just breaking, and we admired the Flowering Currant, Hellebores and Forsythia.
Public transport details: Train from Central at 10.20, arriving Birkenhead Park station at 10.29. Returned from same station on the 13.36 train, arriving Liverpool at 13.50
Next week we plan to go to Stanley Park, meeting Queen Square at 10am.