Wednesday 21 September 2016

After I complained that Little Grebes were hardly ever seen in the park, and had published pictures of them in Regent's Park, St James's Park and Rainham Marshes, one finally showed up on the Long Water. It was in front of the gravel bank and had to be photographed from across the lake, with a young Great Crested Grebe in the foreground.


Most of the young grebes have now grown to full size. Most of them are still begging for food from their parents, but catching their own fish when the parent isn't looking.


The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull was patrolling the edge of the Lido restaurant, where he has been spending a lot of time lately. I haven't seen him catch a pigeon here, but have several times seen him eating one on the shore a few yards away.


The young gull which is presumably his and his mate's offspring was hanging around. But it has stopped begging for food. It's a handsomely marked creature, but the adults are also very fine.


A young Herring Gull -- lighter coloured and slightly larger -- was enjoying the rapids in the Diana fountain and playing with a dead leaf.


A Grey Heron was having a stretch on the roof of one of the small boathouses.


A Tufted Duck was upside down on the Serpentine, preening its underside.


A Wood Pigeon in the pool at the top of the Dell waterfall raised a wing as part of its bathtime ritual.


The pair of Nuthatches in the leaf yard came down to collect seeds from the railings. They are now quite easy to see.


This is what a Jackdaw looks like when it wants you to give it a peanut.


When they returned to the park three years ago they were so shy that you couldn't get within 50 yards of them, and you had to keep your eyes hidden behind the camera to avoid panicking them. Now they are completely bumptious.

Some Mistle Thrushes flew into the rowan trees on Buck Hill.


They have already eaten most of the berries in the tree where these are ripest.

The female Little Owl was in the nest tree near the leaf yard.

2 comments:

  1. The appealing look in that Jackdaw could melt even a stony heart! So clever, so mischievous.

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    1. They are quite polite and don't steal each other's peanuts, as crows do.

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