Friday 8 March 2019

A female Grey Wagtail looked for insects and larvae in the algal slime on the edge of the Serpentine near the Dell restaurant. Usually a pair nests nearby in the Dell.


The flock of seven Pied Wagtails seems to be a permanent fixture on the grass below the Cockpit.


There are two pairs of Song Thrushes in the Flower Walk, defending their territories with their cheerful song.


The Mistle Thrush nest in the Dell is still going well.


I haven't heard the male singing here for a while. I think that this is because it's the only pair of Mistle Thrushes in quite a large area, so there is no urgent need to keep out rivals.

There are still some Redwings here, though they have abandoned their previous place on the Parade Ground. A small flock was foraging on the grass near the Serpentine Gallery.


A Dunnock poked around under the bushes near the bridge.


A Long-Tailed Tit hung from a budding twig, looking for any insects infesting the buds.


There was one Peregrine on the barracks tower.


The three Grey Heron chicks were having a quiet moment and taking the opportunity to preen.


When they clamour for food, they can be heard from the other side of the lake.

The Great Crested Grebes near the bridge are making yet another nest which they will almost certainly not use. But they have plenty of spare time to waste.


The pair from the east end of the island were fishing under the boat platform. Every time they surfaced close together they had a little greeting ceremony, as if they hadn't seen each other for weeks.


The Coots nesting on the post at Peter Pan have been remaking their nest after it was washed away a few days ago. Again, it's a complete waste of time, as it will be predated by Herring Gulls. But in general Coots' mindless persistence is rewarded, as their numbers continue to increase.


This one wears a plastic ring, FR6, put on by Bill Haines. One of the Coots ringed by him here was seen in Nottingham.

There was still one Cormorant on the Long Water, fishing under the dead willow near the Italian Garden.


A top view of the Mute Swans' nest at the boat house. The railings make them feel safe, but don't offer adequate protection.


I don't know how this young Mute Swan managed to get behind the net surrounding the reeds below the Diana fountain. It may have been chased there by the aggressive adult outside.


Whatever happened, when I went past later the swan was no longer there.

9 comments:

  1. The Grey Wagtail appears to have a crippled foot- something often to be seen on pigeons. (they injure their feet on netting etc on roofs?).Perhaps I haven't noticed it on small birds because of their size.

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    1. Yes. I'm told it's the virus infection that also affects Chaffinches.

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    2. It doesn't appear to limp? I can't tell very well. Was it able to run or move quickly despite the crippled foot?

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    3. This trouble is sadly common in Grey Wagtails. They seem to get around perfectly well.

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    4. And so many pigeons with pitifully damaged feet. They seem to do ok , too- but I wonder how bad it feels to a bird, just not showing discomfort in facial expressions/ readable to us.

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  2. Delightful to hear the Song Thrush's lovely happy song.

    I wonder how on Earth did that Swan manage to get itself in and out of the net. Their walking or climbing abilities must be underrated.

    Grebes are just plain adorable. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling to see how affectionate they are.

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    1. I think the swan must have wriggled its way through the end of the net somehow. They have been known to break these nets down by uprooting the posts.

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  3. Nice footage of the Grey Wagtail- sadly missed this when I was up there. I did see 5 Cormorants on the fallen tree on the Long Water at one stage.

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    1. The Cormorants were still here today. You'd have thought they'd have fished the lake out beyond the point of diminishing returns.

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