Wednesday 6 March 2019

The three young Grey Herons in the nest on the island looked up as the air ambulance helicopter passed low overhead.


There are still some fish in the old water filter under the Italian Garden for Cormorants to catch. This one got a small carp.


A Great Crested Grebe was fishing nearby.


Work continues on the big Coot nest near the Serpentine outflow, but it has to be built up from the bottom in at least 3 ft of water and progress is not fast.


The group of Red-Crested Pochards at the island were squabbling, as you would expect when there are five drakes and only one female.


The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull and his mate were again cosily side by side. Work on the Dell restaurant is expected to be complete by the 22nd, and then they will be able to nest on the roof undisturbed and invisible from the ground.


The two Peregrines on the tower were also a bit closer together than usual.


The Little Owl near the Henry Moore sculpture was out on a branch, in spite of wind and drizzle. She is tougher than the other Little Owls, which hide in their holes on nasty days.


All seems well in the Mistle Thrush nest in the Dell.


The male Blackbird near the Italian Garden came out to get his daily treat of sultanas.


A Great Tit ...


... and a Coal Tit near the bridge were also expecting to be fed.


A Blue Tit demolished a pine nut.


A Chaffinch in the Rose Garden stood on a twig near a feeder. Occasionally Chaffinches will come to your hand, but not this one.


The Rose-Ringed Parakeets near the leaf yard are all too eager to be hand fed, and were clustered thickly on an old chestnut tree.


Near the Serpentine Gallery a flock of Starlings worked their way through the grass, looking for wireworms and other insect larvae.

4 comments:

  1. I am looking so forward to seeing the daily progress of the Mistle Thrush nest. I don't think I have ever seen one.

    Why won't biologists study Coots? Unglamorous they may be, but they are so determined, clever, and spunky, someone ought to write their dissertation about them.

    Great picture of the young Herons looking up! They look like something from out of this world.

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    1. I've never seen a Mistle Thrush nest before either, but I have seen the fledglings around here in two years, so let's hope the pair succeed again.

      Coots are masters of building strong nests in difficult places, perhaps the water equivalent of storks on land. Their methods certainly deserve study.

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  2. Wonderful photo of the young Herons- hope they don't get blown out in the anticipated strong winds.

    Good showing of the Red-crested Pochards- exquisite birds!

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    1. So far the young herons have had the good sense to huddle down when the wind gets up. They haven't yet reached the stage when they start climbing around dangerously.

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