Saturday 23 January 2016

The female Little Owl looked out of the hole in the pair's favourite tree.


I was feeding small birds underneath, and she watched with mild curiosity, probably thinking how tasty they would be.

It's very easy to miss Green Woodpeckers in the long grass on Buck Hill. I practically stepped on this one, causing it to fly into a tree.


There was a Goldcrest in the usual yew tree just north of the Henry Moore sculpture.


The Wrens from the colony at the east end of the Serpentine like poking around in the reeds. They are very hard to see here, because they stay at the bottom and are hidden by the stems. Occasionally you get a brief glimpse of one through a gap.


A Carrion Crow had been bathing in the Serpentine and flew into a tree to shake itself dry.


A Red Crested Pochard was also having a wash near the island.


There was just one Shoveller here.


The Black Swan has gone AWOL again. No one I spoke to had seen him. But we know he does this now, and are not worried.

The five Moorhens in the Italian Garden enjoy climbing around on the marble fountain. They get soaked from all angles, but don't mind.


The amazing variety of food that visitors bring to the park ensures that the gulls get a well mixed diet. This young Herring Gull was eating porridge oats, and liked them so much that it chased all the pigeons away to have the meal to itself.


This is only a Common Gull, but it's on the number one spot.

4 comments:

  1. How many wrens are in a 'colony?'

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    1. No fixed number. Male Wrens have several mates, each with her own nest.

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  2. Hi Ralph, just been directed to this incredible blog by a friend (Dom Greves). Is there any chance you would be in the park on 10th or 11th February as I am visiting from Jersey and would love to see Little Owl, Tawny Owl, green woodpecker, kingfisher, great crested grebe...

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    Replies
    1. I'll be there. Please put a comment on the most recent post on the blog on the day before you plan to visit, and I will arrange a meeting. However, the Tawny Owls' new daytime tree still hasn't been found, in winter the Little Owls only come out on sunny calm days, and seeing Green Woodpeckers and Kingfishers is entirely a matter of chance.

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