tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post777049654942282018..comments2024-03-27T19:59:10.159+00:00Comments on Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park birds: Ralph Hancockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-80255694884051550262015-01-13T06:58:44.605+00:002015-01-13T06:58:44.605+00:00What an excellent paper, Ralph. I like the playfu...What an excellent paper, Ralph. I like the playful inclusion of a cormorant on one of the bar charts!!!Cathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09683657915069578017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-42142858506953106002015-01-12T22:07:26.176+00:002015-01-12T22:07:26.176+00:00That's very interesting and good to know. Tha...That's very interesting and good to know. Thank you Ralph. SueAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-23506745728087107292015-01-12T21:42:43.025+00:002015-01-12T21:42:43.025+00:00There's a fuller paper on the subject here, wh...There's a fuller paper on the subject <a href="http://avibirds.com/pdf/A/Aalscholver28.pdf" rel="nofollow">here</a>, which also favours the wing-drying theory. But I have seen so much conflicting information that I don't know what to believe any more.<br />Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-24293096967958170942015-01-12T21:31:13.952+00:002015-01-12T21:31:13.952+00:00Small birds depend less on binocular vision than y...Small birds depend less on binocular vision than you might think, because their heads are so small. Even a Little Owl has to weave its head from side to side to get good depth information. Much of a bird's depth perception depends on seeing the changing position of the twigs as it flies past.<br /><br />The Little Owls are probably in the leaf yard, unseen by us. They left their nest tree when the leaves fell off and there was no more cover. They should be back in the spring.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-78462090487825987252015-01-12T20:09:28.656+00:002015-01-12T20:09:28.656+00:00Other explanations include helping with digestion ...Other explanations include helping with digestion and thermoregulation, I believe. Though drying the plumage is the favoured theory!Cathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09683657915069578017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-68209432274718495922015-01-12T19:54:21.095+00:002015-01-12T19:54:21.095+00:00https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/...https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Spread-Wing_Postures.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-90673188683653389692015-01-12T19:53:24.435+00:002015-01-12T19:53:24.435+00:00Apparently their wings aren't totally waterpro...Apparently their wings aren't totally waterproof but resistant so spreading them help to dry themAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-57179281487181148452015-01-12T18:53:30.849+00:002015-01-12T18:53:30.849+00:00The Great Tit was at the Leaf yard by the way. Su...The Great Tit was at the Leaf yard by the way. SueAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-79025688394461603882015-01-12T18:52:05.020+00:002015-01-12T18:52:05.020+00:00A Great Tit came to feed from my hand several time...A Great Tit came to feed from my hand several times today and I noticed it only had one eye. The other eye was completely closed up and invisible really. It seemed to cope well but I wondered how much of a disability this is for the little fellow? Also, are the Little Owls ok? Sue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com