Tuesday 9 December 2014

Most of the Great Crested Grebes have left the lake, as they do when frosty weather arrives to avoid being trapped by ice. Since they need a 50-yard run on open water to take off, ice is a serious danger to them. I think they fly up the Thames, as there are quite a lot of grebes upstream from Chiswick.

However, this pair on the Long Water seem to be newly arrived. Perhaps they are on their way to the river from some smaller and more ice-prone pond.


They are already in full breeding plumage, and both have unusually dark faces. I don't think I've seen them before, as the dark-faced grebe who was on the lake in previous years had a mate with a normal amount of white.

There was a pair of Pied Wagtails hunting insects in the grooves of the non-slip mat on the jetty of the Lido swimming area.


Then they flew to the roof of the Lido restaurant and started investigating the crevices between the slates. Any small gap may harbour a bug. I have seen one trying to climb a tree trunk like a Treecreeper looking for insects in the cracks in the bark. But wagtails' feet are for running on the flat, and it didn't get far before it lost its hold.

A Long-Tailed tit paused for a moment on an oak tree near Peter Pan.


The tree has small leaf buds on it, which must have developed prematurely in response to the mild autumn weather. Trees seem to be able to recover from these mistakes without serious harm.

The Ring-Necked Parakeets are becoming rather troublesome. If you feed one, you get them all over you.


The male Tawny Owl was out early in his usual place on the nest tree.


And here is a picture of the tree, taken from the path that runs between the Physical Energy statue and the Speke obelisk.


If you stand on the path at the midpoint between these two monuments and look west, towards Kensington Palace, you will see this tall, left leaning horse chestnut tree -- note its distinctive broken trunk. You can just see the owl in this picture at the tip of the arrow. The beech tree in which the female owl sometimes perches is just beyond it and a little to the left, still with some brown leaves.

There are a dozen mossy stones on the south edge of the Serpentine between the Lido and the end of the lake. They have been picked out of the lake by the young Herring Gulls, who like to play with them.


This Black-Headed Gull at the Round Pond had a different toy, an individual Wetabix wrapper which was fun to chase as it blew around.

9 comments:

  1. I love the shot of the pair of Grebes. I see adults on the Thames at Henley, but I have not to date ever seen a Grebe chick. In photographs they look like fuzzy humbugs! Maybe one day...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They can't nest on the river, because their floating nests are not strong enough to stay put in the current. So they have to go to lakes to breed, including the lakes in our park.

      Delete
    2. Oh thank you. I had been living with a lingering sense of disappointment. No more. I might as well sign my name this time - I've been leaving anon messages because it seems like the easiest way to post a comment! I read your blog every day, and it's a nice treat to look forward to in the evenings. Cathy

      Delete
    3. Thanks. Well, if you want to see Great Crested Grebe chicks (and who doesn't?), their appearance in the park will be mentioned on my blog. Our grebes are very atypical because they breed in late summer. This is because there aren't enough small fish in spring.

      Delete
    4. That's a treat to be anticipated with great pleasure! Sounds like my habitual Thameside ramblings will be for adult Grebes only. There are water gardens/streams at my favourite National Trust property and Savill Gardens, my other stamping ground, where I have seen Egyptian Geese raise their goslings successfully - but I don't think I am likely to see Grebelets there, after what you have said.

      Delete
  2. This is fast becoming one of my favourite blogs. Thanks very much for taking all the time and effort to post your news and photos. I still haven't made it down to the park for a visit but at least I now know exactly what the owl tree looks like and I also know that I must bring some bird seed with me. Sharon

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind words. At the moment the Tawny Owl is most likely to be seen early in the morning or after 3.30 pm. But the pair will be changing their habits fairly soon as their very early nesting season approaches, and no one has much idea what they will do.

      Delete
  3. It is also my favourite blog and I follow it faithfully. Like Cathy, it has become my nightly treat! Love the pictures and also all the info about the birdies.Thanks again, Ralph. Your work is much appreciated, even though we don't always run to chat you up when we see you around! Laura

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And many thanks to you too. I can actually be talked to, though I may look gloomy and obsessive.

      Delete