Monday 9 February 2015

There was a pair of Gadwall on the Long Water. These haven't been seen here for several months, although they used to be quite common. There is (or maybe was) a small group of them in Buckingham Palace Gardens, which often made a day trip to the park, and I have seen as many as eight together.


I looked for the Scaup on the Serpentine but couldn't find it -- which is not to say that it wasn't there.

The two adult Mute Swans on the Long Water were alone together, and their seven young were hanging around miserably by the bridge, no doubt having been cheased away by their father. They didn't want to go on to the Serpentine, as things were a bit rough there.


Right at the east end of the Serpentine by the Dell restaurant, inside the line of floating baskets, a Cormorant suddenly surfaced, swallowing a fish. The water here is only a couple of feet deep and crowded with waterfowl, and it is right under the gaze of people eating on the restaurant terrace, so it seemed an odd place for a Cormorant to go fishing.


On the south shore of the Serpentine a Black-Headed Gull was playing with a long willow twig, waving it and throwing it about.


A Goldfinch was waiting its turn at the seed feeder at Kensington Palace.


The two Coal Tits followed me all the way down the leaf yard.


They still won't come to my hand and I think I have missed the opportunity, as they now know that I will eventually put food on the railings for them. A couple of days ago one of them flew to the hand of a girl they didn't even know, and I was envious.

The male Tawny Owl was out on his tree all day.


However, there may be trouble at the oak tree where the Little Owls have been. Lasy year a pair of Stock Doves evicted them from the hole and I never found where they moved to. There was a Stock Dove on the branch today, and I fear that the same thing may happen again.

7 comments:

  1. The cormorant sighting fits with my theory that when you saw the lesser black-backs near the Dell restaurant with lake fish on 20/12 and 23/12, one had stolen them off a cormorant. All good wishes, Jim n.L.

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    1. Quite possible. They'd need to be quick, though. Cormorants swallow their fish very fast indeed, and in the picture you can see the fish vanishing before the bird has fully surfaced.

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  2. Are these photos with your new gear? They look great on my retina display. Fun to see the gull playing. I always wonder what they are thinking when they pick things up and throw them around.

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    1. Yes, they are with my new gear. I'm still learning how to control this monster machine, though, and it shows on some of the pictures, especially if you view them on a big screen.

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    2. Yes, they are with my new gear. I'm still learning how to control this monster machine, though, and it shows on some of the pictures, especially if you view them on a big screen.

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  3. Adding this comment well after the fact (May 12), after meeting you for the first time in the park yesterday! On this day, Feb 9, at 3:12pm, I witnessed the tawny owl (exactly as in your picture)... but with a large gray squirrel cuddled up beside him. Both were fast asleep! I so wished I had my camera. I looked desperately around to show so me others, but no one nearby. After a minute or so of watching the odd pair, both roused from their nap, and the squirrel moved off a few inches. The owl resumed its nap!

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    1. That is a very strange sighting, and I can't think how it happened.

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