Tuesday 8 November 2016

There were a lot of Cormorants at the Serpentine island, and not enough posts to go around. One, perched uncomfortably on the chain, tried to knock its neighbour off, but was met with defiance.


So it wobbled precariously along to the other end of the chain and tried again. The head-up posture of the bird on the left seems to mean 'You won't budge me.'


When it arrived it met the same response.


There were posts to spare on the Long Water, and a Grey Heron executed a perfect touchdown on one.


David Element found a Fieldfare in a rowan tree on Buck Hill and took this fine picture with the last of the sunlight.


Arriving only a few minutes later, I got a Mistle Thrush but the sun had gone in, and the day got greyer and greyer.


There were also some Long-Tailed Tits in the trees.


At the leaf yard, a Nuthatch needed no prompting.


A Great Tit hung on a tree waiting for its turn.


There was the usual crowd of Ring-Necked Parakeets, but they looked pretty in a red oak tree.


Some of them were examining one of the lifebelt boxes at the Vista as possible winter shelter, but the lifebelt blocks the holes and they couldn't get past it.


A Magpie's bathing routine is strangely violent. It hurls itself into the water, splashes furiously for a couple of seconds, and then flies up to a branch and shakes itself like a dog. Then it does the routine over and over again. Presumably the sheer force of its action throws parasites out of its feathers.


The Little Owls near the Albert Memorial are the only ones that anyone has much chance of seeing at the moment. They shelter in their nest hole, and are especially likely to be seen there if it's raining.

6 comments:

  1. The cormorant chain gang would have made a very funny video I imagine. Mighty chucklesome as is however. Well observed!

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    1. Can't help thinking in terms of still pictures, although my camera does perfectly good video. Wish I had an acolyte running alongside with a video camera.

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  2. I think that Cormorant ought to attend Moorhen school. He has much to learn in order to perfect the way of the avian tightrope walkers.

    Magpies do everything very violently,it seems. Even their flight is laboured and ragged. They walk very prettily and daintily, though!

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    1. No one walks the tightrope better than a Moorhen. Odd, for a bird that has no need to be graceful.

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  3. The raptor (yesterday) could be a goshawk ( from the general shape).

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    1. That would be something -- a first for the park, too. But I'm still inclined to think it was a Red Kite.

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