Wednesday 7 March 2018

Several Magpies in the leaf yard were making it hard to feed the small birds ...


... but a Nuthatch managed to dodge them and get to the food.


A pair of Chaffinches were at the hanging feeders, but I only got a picture of one of them.


Other birds were on the endless hunt for worms and insects in various places.

The resident pair of Mistle Thrushes were foraging near the Serpentine Gallery.


A short way off, a Redwing secured a large worm. There are still lots of these winter migrants in various parts of the park.


It was a surprise to see the white-faced Blackbird, as the gardeners are having an orgy of clearance  all round the Long Water, and have destroyed most of the bramble patch where she lives.


They have also completely razed the scrub where the Cetti's Warbler was, and I don't think we shall hear this bird again in the park.

Two Carrion Crows probed one of the plants rafts at the east end of the Serpentine. The job of dismantling these ruined rafts seems to have been abandoned half way through, leaving small bits floating around.


A Herring Gull did the worm dance in a boggy patch on the grass east of the Dell. This didn't look like a good place for worms, but it brought up two small creatures of some kind.


This Black-Headed Gull at the Round Pond is Norwegian, as can be seen from its plastic ring with the code J37C. An inital J means Norway.


Two pleasing pictures by Mark Williams: two Blue Tits come to his hand to feed ...


... and a new brood of Egyptian Geese in St James's Park. There is a bit more cover there than there is in Hyde Park, so the young ones stand a better chance.


The pair of Great Crested Grebes near the bridge rested side by side under the willow tree.


The Grey Herons' nest on the shore side of the island had one standing bird in it. If the other one was sitting, it was lying to low to be seen. This is the nest on the other side of the island, photographed from the far side of the lake, and again with one standing heron. It's too far away to be sure of what's going on here.


Another day with four Little Owls. The female near the Albert Memorial was yawning.


Her mate was on a branch at the top of the tree -- this picture was taken several hours later than the first one.


The female owl at the leaf yard stared down from her hole ...


... and the female near the Henry Moore sculpture stayed obstinately in the shade.

13 comments:

  1. Sad to hear that about the scrub. Are the officers at all amenable to being advised that there is such and such warbler stationed in a particular location? Jim

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    1. There is absolutely no hope in making the oark management understand anything. I have tried repeatedly, and given up, They are deaf to reason.

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    2. Ralph, could you possibly find someone we can write to or talk to when we are in London, arriving March 18. I could emphasize that I flew all the way from California specifically to try to see the Cetti's warbler in the park, since it is so famous! What do you think? Plausible?

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    3. I suppose the Kensington Gardens park manager is the person. I have met him, but have forgotten his name. Will try to find out. Meanwhile, this page has a list of email addresses and telephone numbers.

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    4. That "this page" link takes us to the parks page. I'll at least write to them, that scrub/brush care around the Long Water really should be left somewhat "brushy" at this time of year, for the warblers some of us travel long distances to glimpse at that location. Feel free to improve my message.

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    5. Yes. That's all I have. These people don't want to be contacted personally by plebs like us. I may be able to do better with a bit of luck. Don't write anything yet.

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    6. OK great! I enjoy good advice, always more fun and possibly helpful that way.

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  2. Ps. presumably that's a male nuthatch with the dark flank contrasting discretely with the underside. Jim

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    1. Should be. The side is well lit in that position.

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  3. Great Little Owl bonanza today!

    How very sad that the home of the Cetti's Warblers has been destroyed so recklessly. Is there really no hope of their continuing to live somewhere else?

    Lovely picture of the trusting and tame Blue Tits!

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    1. Well, we shall see if we hear a Cetti's when it's time to start singing. But the poor bird has nowhere to go now.

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  4. I made this comment at your video site, but I'll repeat it here for those who don't go there: The worm dance the gulls do is perhaps similar what humans learned to do, rubbing two sticks together, making a ratchety sound. Here in this video, just watch the first bit and you'll see how it is done, using sticks. Could be similar, to the worms, anyway? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEr-BTa7Ucw

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    Replies
    1. There seem to be many techniques for worm charming, all doing much the same thing, transmitting vibrations to the ground.

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