The Bearded Tits were seen in the reed bed near the Diana fountain about 9 am, and then flew to the other reed bed at the east end of the Serpentine and were lost to view. So instead, here is a picture of a Long Tailed Tit flying out of the lion's mouth in the parapet of the Italian Gardens, where it had been looking for insects in the crevices of the stonework.
Bearded Tits were originally classified as tits because of a faint resemblance to Long-Tailed Tits. Now, thanks to modern taxonomy, they are no longer classed as tits and, since no one knows where to put them, have been put in a family of which they are the sole member, the Panuridae. Long-Tailed Tits have also been thrown out of the tit family and are now in the Aegithalidae -- but at least this is a real family and contains 11 species of not-quite-tits.
The new Great Crested Grebes' nest on the Long Water can be seen from the other side of the lake by the Peter Pan statue, where it is just to the south (right) side of the line of posts crossing the lake. Here its owners display proudly in front of their creation, which is that muddy platform barely above water level at the right side of the picture. They don't make themselves very comfortable.
On the Serpentine, two Mute Swan couples at uncomfortably close quarters were alternately courting and threatening each other. The male swan on the left has his wings raised because he has just been having a go at the male of the other couple.
Courting and threatening are not far apart in many birds' range of behaviour. Chasing away other birds makes the dominant one more attractive, and you often see this in species as disparate as gulls, grebes and geese, where one of a pair will see off a rival and immediately return for a triumphant display of affection.
Not far away, a swan peacefully on his own was enjoying a good wash.
Your bird studies get ever more sophisticated and your commentaries increasingly 'meaty' and full of information. Well done and thank you. I do hope that T-bird is enjoying the finer weather and the gradual receeding of the muddy patches in the Parks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words. But that was a very, very lucky shot of the Long-Tailed Tit. I saw it on the stonework and snatched two shots, one of it walking about and the other just as it left. It is interesting, though, to see what the bird has to do with its very long tail when flying off a vertical surface -- a tricky aerodynamic problem which must have to be solved by flapping like fury to avoid a nosedive.
DeleteHyde Park's Bearded Tits were seen in Regent's Park in the reedbed to the right of the Boathouse at noon on Sunday, Ralph, but the observation wasn't posted on the London Bird Club Wiki until midnight. Needless to say, I'll check first thing this morning to see if they're still there.
ReplyDeleteHi Ralph. Yes, in Regent's Park the 2♀ Bearded Tit were showing down to 3m (to an unsuspecting early-morning photographer) 07:30-08:15 this morning at extreme S (right-hand) end of Boathouse reedbed, 1min from Hanover Gate. Of course, it's a new species for Regent's Park too - share the wealth, I always say! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the notification. As you say, it's time the celebrity tour moved on. And it's very encouraging that they know the way to Regent's Park. I do hope that their progress eventually takes them to wherever they want to go.
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