Tuesday 21 January 2014

The Grey Herons have started building nests on the Serpentine island. There are four visible from the shore, all of which have increased in size in the past few days though they are not yet the vast messy heaps of twigs that herons like to nest in.


This activity is probably premature. Exactly the same thing happened last year and was cut short by the miserably cold spring, and the herons never got around to starting again.

There was a Dunnock in the shrubbery at the southwest corner of the bridge, almost invisible against the background of leaf litter till it moved.


The Pied Wagtails that were driven out of their home on the Parade Ground by the German funfair have returned in force: there were at least a dozen of them running about. They seem to like the desolation of churned-up earth and dead grass that the fair has left behind, though probably what pleases them most is the fence around the ruined area keeping humans out.


Will keep any eye on this place from now on, hoping for Redwings, Fieldfares and maybe even a Wheatear as we had last year.

The pair of Moorhens who raised a family under the boat hire jetty last year are showing interest in each other again. It is an excellent nest site, extensive and sheltered against gulls.


A male Tufted Duck on the edge of the Serpentine was looking splendidly iridescent in the sunlight.


And the male Tawny Owl was in his usual place, fast asleep and looking rotund and comfortable.

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