tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post7761008539485423698..comments2024-03-27T19:59:10.159+00:00Comments on Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park birds: Ralph Hancockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-7760247192169380332015-07-31T00:31:44.962+01:002015-07-31T00:31:44.962+01:00I've often seen Pipistrelle bats at twilight i...I've often seen Pipistrelle bats at twilight in Kensington Gardens, but,as Ralph so rightly says, you don't exactly get a good look at them. However I did go on a guided walk once where we were given echo-locators to hear them and we were lucky enough to get visual contact with a noctule bat or two over the Serpentine. If anybody's interested there are a couple of walks coming up in August and September:<br /><br />http://www.supporttheroyalparks.org/shop/experiences/1373_walk_in_the_park_-_bat_walk<br /><br />I think 5 species is a bit optimistic.Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10529596094957534682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-6825971353340082782015-07-30T20:40:07.184+01:002015-07-30T20:40:07.184+01:00Fascinating. In fact everything about birds is fa...Fascinating. In fact everything about birds is fascinating eg just discovered the story behind eclipse plumage. Now it makes sense. Thanks a lot Ralph.Cathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09683657915069578017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-51995471204362150352015-07-30T20:12:19.274+01:002015-07-30T20:12:19.274+01:00Bats are difficult. You can hardly see them and ca...Bats are difficult. You can hardly see them and can't hear them at all, and if you want to find them in Kensington Gardens you have to climb in over the railings because the place is shut after dark. Good luck to the researchers, but it's beyond me.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-47587439930477755992015-07-30T20:09:51.267+01:002015-07-30T20:09:51.267+01:00Yes, owls with ear tufts can raise and lower them ...Yes, owls with ear tufts can raise and lower them at will. Some, such as Long-Eared Owls and the various Scops owls, can raise their ear tufts vertically to make them blend into the vertical striations on the bark of the tree they are in.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-57609577091462141032015-07-30T15:29:57.067+01:002015-07-30T15:29:57.067+01:00Not *directly relevant, but I hope of interest - I...Not *directly relevant, but I hope of interest - I was in the Park last night (good views of the ♀ little owl, and a pair of reed warblers singing with their mouths full of crickets in the reed-beds near the Lido) and met two Royal Parks rangers from Richmond Park who were there with a TV crew, the former doing a bat survey, which will be part of a documentary made by the latter for German TV (though possibly to be shown here as well). ((My back view might appear in it - ah, immortality!)) Apparently there should be 5 or 6 species of bat in the Park. Perhaps Ralph might get a report from the rangers - and share some nice, entirely black photographs...<br /><br />Harry G.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-47279595006671590512015-07-30T10:10:44.662+01:002015-07-30T10:10:44.662+01:00Ralph, I'd appreciate your advice on a matter ...Ralph, I'd appreciate your advice on a matter regarding owls. When searching for pictures of a particular owl, I notice that sometimes some photos show 'ears' and some do not. I wonder why this might be.<br /><br />Is it a gender difference, or a seasonal difference, or an ability on the part of the owl to raise and lower its 'ears' - or just pictures badly labelled and actually showing different owls? <br /><br />The owl I was looking at images of was the Western screech owl (Megascops kennicottii) - admittedly not a species likely to appear in the Thames Valley any time soon!<br /><br />Thank you.Cathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09683657915069578017noreply@blogger.com