Monday 3 November 2014

This is the first Redwing I have seen in the park this year, unfortunately on the far side of a tree and about to fly away. There have been plenty of Redwings in outer London, but they take a while to move into the centre.


The tree was one of the rowans on Buck Hill, which also had some Mistle Thrushes and a Jay eating the berries.


There were four Jackdaws on the north side of the Serpentine, wandering around freely because the park was almost deserted in the rain. This one fished a crisp packet out of a bin, and turned it upside down and shook it to get the crumbs out.


A Carrion Crow in the Dell had a more substantial meal, the remains of a Feral Pigeon.


Perhaps the pigeon had fallen victim to the notorious Lesser Black-Backed Gull. But he and his mate were sharing a fresh kill on pavement at the other side of the restaurant. He is the one on the left, distinguishable by his bright yellow legs.


The male Tawny Owl was on the same branch in the beech tree next to his nest tree, despite heavy rain. To see this place you have to stand under the nest tree and look up through its lower branches, which have now lost their leaves.


The female Little Owl was in her nest tree, also ignoring the rain. I didn't see her mate.

2 comments:

  1. Johanna van de Woestijne5 November 2014 at 04:01

    Maybe the pigeon had been split in half already and the crow managed to make off with part of the unlucky pigeon? Pretty amazing crafty gulls to be so clever at catching a pigeon.

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    1. It doesn't show clearly in the pictures, but both the pigeons were the remains of whole ones. The gulls don't bother to eat the wings, and the remains they leave consist of wings, backbone and feet, all still attached to each other, with enough scraps adhering to them to make the carcase worthwhile for a crow to scavenge.

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