tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post1480740243836745372..comments2024-03-27T19:59:10.159+00:00Comments on Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park birds: Ralph Hancockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-24332350751463464732017-06-20T11:22:50.456+01:002017-06-20T11:22:50.456+01:00Can't remember saying that.Can't remember saying that.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-80370204312296429902017-06-20T11:01:24.794+01:002017-06-20T11:01:24.794+01:00'd meant – after your recent comment (which I ...'d meant – after your recent comment (which I can't now trace) about seeing a *male dragonfly dipping the tip of its abdomen in the water - to say that this is surely*female behaviour, ovipositing eggs. I am given additional impetus to do so after seeing, yesterday (Sunday) a female Emperor ovipositing onto the water-surface of the Round Pond, near the Coot nest on the small platform. She spotted a pile of damp weed on the edge of the platform and set to work; whereupon a sitting Coot made a mighty lunge and caught her. After a bit of a struggle - the dragonfly was over the length of its head - the Coot ate half the insect and then took the other half round the back of the platform to its mate, sitting on the nest and oblivious to the whole drama. I was impressed by this act of selfless dedication (not a trait I associate with Coots); but, as my partner said, perhaps dragonflies taste nasty but are good for you - the bird equivalent of spinach, or liver.harryghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04184350321693687780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-17982107583551396072017-06-20T01:49:38.458+01:002017-06-20T01:49:38.458+01:00Little Owls do have a very human-looking gaze, I t...Little Owls do have a very human-looking gaze, I think mostly because of their shaggy eyebrows. I try not to read too much into their expressions, which are not our expressions, but you can get a rough idea pf their mood from their body language.<br /><br />The Great Crested Grebe is separated from the boat by a line of large floating wire baskets filled with water plants. She knows she is safe from us there, and humans are irrelevant to her as long as they don't pose an immediate threat. Even when the boat hit the baskets, she didn't stir.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-86703251724363519622017-06-20T01:42:00.295+01:002017-06-20T01:42:00.295+01:00Not sure how the throat vibration works, but clear...Not sure how the throat vibration works, but clearly there is some kind of fanning going on.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-12663942908990699122017-06-19T22:24:03.729+01:002017-06-19T22:24:03.729+01:00The Little Owl looks like an Old Hollywood star wi...The Little Owl looks like an Old Hollywood star with her long eyelashes and her heavy eyelids. Did you manage to see what made her open her eyes? Was it some other bird, or a noise?<br /><br />It's astounding how easy and still the Great Crested Grebe sitting on eggs remained when you approached it.Tinúvielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04794275230697959519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-19630965928580295242017-06-19T21:01:59.929+01:002017-06-19T21:01:59.929+01:00I knew about the open beak cooling system, but had...I knew about the open beak cooling system, but had never seen the throat vibrating; fascinating to see, thanks for the videos.<br />Great close-up portrait of the parakeet.<br />Ulrikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06022985141813875238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-26721128047491333532017-06-19T20:57:47.423+01:002017-06-19T20:57:47.423+01:00Hope to do better.Hope to do better.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-16666002046368384712017-06-19T20:52:29.141+01:002017-06-19T20:52:29.141+01:00Excellent in flight picture of the Dragonfly!Excellent in flight picture of the Dragonfly!Arjun Duttahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12428937191960058515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-30620923375510601192017-06-19T20:13:54.277+01:002017-06-19T20:13:54.277+01:00We're all rooting for it (whatever that means)...We're all rooting for it (whatever that means).Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-53836348069964801542017-06-19T20:02:58.819+01:002017-06-19T20:02:58.819+01:00I like the plucky spirit of the young Grebe!I like the plucky spirit of the young Grebe!Cathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09683657915069578017noreply@blogger.com