Wednesday 21 January 2015

This odd little assorted fishing party of two Cormorants and a Grey Heron has been grouped on the Serpentine island for several days. The two species don't bother each other because each has a completely different fishing technique, so they don't get in each other's way.


Cormorants do chase Great Crested Grebes away, however, because they are both diving birds and therefore rivals. This grebe on the Serpentine is carefully preening his flight feathers -- the white secondaries on the forearm joint of his wing.


The Scaup on the Round Pond came right in to the edge and examined the shoreline to see if there was anything edible. There was nothing it liked, so it swam away again.


The muddy debris left by the works on the Long Water has attracted several Mallards and Moorhens, which comb through it looking for insects and worms.


The debris of the funfair in Hyde Park has now been fenced off, and should attract some birds looking for the same things, though it may take a couple of days before they realise that the area is free of humans. I walked round it and didn't see anything more exciting than a few Pied Wagtails flying over.

At the east end of the Serpentine, a Magpie was perched in a cherry tree which was just coming into blossom.


Yes, I know it's a winter-flowering cherry, but it's still a hopeful sign on a cold dank grey day.

A Wren was poking around in the leaf litter on the edge of the Diana playground.


Not far away, a Carrion Crow had fished an attractively fragrant nougat packet out of a waste bin and was disappointed that there was no nougat left in it.


The male Tawny Owl was in his usual tree. In spite of four people milling around underneath, talking and taking pictures, he didn't wake up.

3 comments:

  1. I have a very soft spot for wrens. I grow a lot of plants in pots, and they hop in, peck up the insects in the compost, and hop out again. Free valeting service! Another good reason to encourage birds in the garden. Your photo captures their diminutive charm very well!

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    1. You're lucky to have a wren family nearby. From what I have seen, they seem to be very settled in particular places. But in these there are a lot of wrens, because they are polygamous and the male has a harem of mates in separate nests all over his territory.

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    2. Oh thanks for that. I wonder if they are roosting in my overgrown native ivy? I am loath to cut it back just in case!

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