Sunday 4 May 2014

A sad event at the Little Owls' chestnut tree. An owlet had come out too far to the front of the nest hole, and was snatched by a Carrion Crow.


The crow knew well that there was a nest in this hole, and has been watching and harassing the owls for several days. Little Owls typically have five chicks. Let's hope the survivors stay well at the back of the hole. The tree is completely hollow, so there is plenty of room.

Not all predators succeed. This young Herring Gull swooped on a young Egyptian Goose and missed it. The gull fled as the angry mother closed in.


This attempt by a Grey Heron was equally unsuccessful. It had crept up stealthily on foot, as herons do, and the alert parents went for it before it could get near its prey.


Two Grey Wagtails were flying around the nets over the reed bed east of the Lido, a charming sight -- unless you are an insect. The fact is that most of the creatures in the park spend their time trying to eat each other.


Insects were also on the menu here, as a Long-Tailed Tit arrived to feed its brood in a tree near the bridge. The adult is the one upside down in the middle of the picture.


These may or may not be all that adult's brood, as Long-Tailed Tits live in extended family groups and care for each other's chicks.

A Wren was singing on a tree on the west side of the Long Water. It is amazing what a loud noise this tiny bird can make.


This area, between the bridge and the Vista, is an excellent place for seeing small birds of various kinds.

Goldfinches are usually hard to see at the tops of trees, but this one near the Tawny Owl tree came down quite low and was unusually clearly visible.


And the Tawny Owl himself was in his usual place, though moving around in the tree so that you couldn't always see him.

2 comments:

  1. Great action shots and nice perching shots of some favorite birds. BTW I saw the dive-bombing action by the gulls against an adult Crested Grebe. I'm not sure what the gulls (two of them) were thinking!

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    1. They might have thought it had a fish. They like trying to snatch them. Usually the grebe manages to crash-dive in time.

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