tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post6834384448483692831..comments2024-03-29T01:41:15.713+00:00Comments on Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park birds: Ralph Hancockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-41598634968689996062013-02-05T02:03:57.032+00:002013-02-05T02:03:57.032+00:00I suppose that when the ice melted the ball sank, ...I suppose that when the ice melted the ball sank, and that was that. I really don't think the gull thought of it as animate and was playing with it like a cat plays with a mouse. It might have originally supposed the ball to be edible, maybe some kind of fruit. But who knows what goes on in a gull's mind?Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-23986581376259854072013-02-04T23:07:12.272+00:002013-02-04T23:07:12.272+00:00Just to confirm that when I saw the gull the ball ...Just to confirm that when I saw the gull the ball was intact and the bird immediately pounced on it each time it fell from its beak or scooted away from its pecking, seemingly regarding the ball as an animate object that was trying to get away. Contrary to what I suggested, your interpretation of what it was doing two days down the line seems to fit better. Having opened up the ball and bashed it about for two days - and your observation that it was no longer paying it the close attention I'd witnessed - suggests you were right to see it as something other than a food item.<br />I haven't seen any sign of the ball since. Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10529596094957534682noreply@blogger.com