Wednesday 16 March 2016

There haven't been many Cormorants on the lake recently, probably because they have eaten most of the fish. But one turned up on the Long Water near the Italian Garden and caught quite a lot. Here it is turning one round to swallow it head first.


A pair of Great Crested Grebes were also doing well in the wire baskets of twigs near the bridge.


They were both catching the same kind of small fish, long and slim with a close-pointed tail, without the red-tinged fins of a roach or the perch they were catching a month ago. I am not good enough at recognising fish to know what these were.

The Black Swan arrived with three young Mute Swans in tow and I thought Oh no, he's setting up a harem.


But the ones on the left and right went off by themselves, and the one in the middle turned out to be girlfriend number one, so order was restored.

Along the shore near the Lido, a Pied Wagtail was inspecting a heap of debris in search of insects.


The Redwings on the Parade Ground were hauling up worms at a great rate.


The bare earth under the small trees must make it easier to see them.

The little triangle of shrubbery at the northwest corner of the bridge produced a Treecreeper ...


... a Long-Tailed Tit ...


... a Coal Tit ...


... and a Wren, which ventured out on the path for a moment.


There was also a Goldcrest singing inside a holly tree, but it wouldn't come out to have its picture taken.

However, the Little Owl in the oak tree near the Albert Memorial was most obliging, and stayed out for several minutes.

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for showing us where to find the little owls in the lime tree today. Although initially absent, one came out a few minutes later for a photo. Thanks also for your wonderful blog which is so informative and entertaining. Janet

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  2. Glad you found the owl. I was content with the one I had photographed already, and didn't wait for it.

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  3. Hi Ralph,

    Many thanks for the helpfully precise directions you gave me today when we met in HP about where to see the Little Owl near the Moore sculpture. I saw it clearly, thanks to your instructions!

    Great photos on the blog, btw.

    Best wishes

    Alan Hobson

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  4. Is it just one owl by the Albert memorial? Or is a pair? I have been there several times and it looks like just one to me.

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    1. It's a pair. I got one dark and indistinct picture of them both on 6 February.

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