Monday 5 January 2015

Just a day after I wrote that we hadn't seen the adult Great Black-Backed Gull for some time, there it was opposite Peter Pan, huge, dark and fierce. They are much blacker than Lesser Black-Backs, which seldom go below charcoal grey.


The water just offshore was a mass of ducks, although no one was feeding them. Most were Pochards ...

... and Tufted Ducks ...


with a few Mallards and a separate group of Shovellers revolving at the far end. The Red Crested Pochards were absent, as they have taken to living around the Serpentine island.

But that was all. A few years ago we had regular visits from Teal, Wigeon, Garganey, Pintail and Goldeneye, which were probably strays from the London Wetland Centre, but I haven't seen any of these for a long time. Still, it is good that there is no sad captive wildfowl collection on the lake, and any bird is there because it wants to be.

The seven young Mute Swans from the Long Water can't go near their father any more because he will chase them off. They were circling on the other side of the bridge in a foul mood with their wings raised to threaten everything in sight.


But at least he hasn't driven them right off the lake yet. When he and his mate nest in the spring, last year's young will probably be banished to the Round Pond, home of low-status swans.

A Great Crested Grebe fishing nearby gave me a severe stare.


This Grey Heron at the edge of the Lido reed bed looked quite decorative in a Japanese print sort of way..


On the path near the bridge, a couple of Magpies had made quite sure that a sandwich bag was empty, and were amusing themselves by ripping it to shreds.


The male Tawny Owl didn't come out to his usual place till after 3 pm, but at least there is a little more light at that time now.

13 comments:

  1. Stroppy swans are beautiful, as they look magnificent with their wings aggressively raised. :)

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    1. It's the posture people choose when making swan-shaped flower vases. It seems strange to stick flowers in an angry bird.

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    2. Ha ha. Yes you are right of course!

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  2. I watched the swan pair at the end of the Serpentine today - the pair that is protecting a nest site. The male was patrolling the area between the new reed beds and the dam and was chasing off any swan that unwisely swan through the gaps in the reed beds. He certainly looked angry!

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  3. Hmmm, I've never seen a swan smiling benignly Ian! Nor a heron look benevolent for that matter. A certain menace about them.....

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    1. And while we're on the subject, the Great Black-Backed Gull doesn't look as if it was Safe With Kittens.

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    2. I've never heard that phrase 'Safe With Kittens' *makes note*

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  4. I saw the Tawny Owl in its usual spot at about 1pm today. Also nice to see a group of 14 or so Redwing nearby, on the grassy ride between the Round Pond and Longwater - despite the large number of dogs on the loose.
    Martin

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    1. I must have just missed the Tawny Owl then, and had to come back later. Good that there was a reasonable number of Redwings -- they've been scarce this year. When the dismal funfair is finally dismantled, look for them on the fenced-off ruined grass, especially under the trees west of the bandstand.

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  5. Thanks for yet another wonderful blog - it is helping to rid me of my new year blues!
    Sharon

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  6. Hi Ralph. I really enjoyed reading your blog. I'm currently making a wildlife series for the BBC and wondered whether you've ever seen the herons using bait (and of what kind) to attract fish to the surface? Many thanks, Victoria Buckley

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    1. I've never seen this myself, but it does seem to happen. If you google for 'heron using bait for fish' you will get several hits, including a video.

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