Wednesday 25 February 2015

The male Little Owl near the leaf yard was surveying the world from the hole in the chestnut tree. You can tell it's the male by his big white eyebrows.


The male Tawny Owl was also in his usual spot, enjoying the mild sunny day.


The Cetti's Warbler was in the same place as yesterday, on the north side of the broken horse chestnut tree. He was singing loud and long but refused to come into view, though there was a brief flash of brown as he flew from one tree to another. While three people were watching through binoculars for a sight of the bird, a Robin came out on a branch in front and mocked us with a rough imitation of his song.


A Goldcrest was leaping about in the trees near the Henry Moore sculpture.


Another Goldcrest was singing in the Dell.

The Scaup was on the Serpentine next to the reed bed in front of the Diana fountain, but when I went past twice he had gone off somewhere else, and I couldn't find him.

But there were five Gadwalls on the Serpentine, two pairs and an unattached female.


The Grey Heron which was sitting in the right-hand nest yesterday was standing up, so it seems that the pair have not yet got around to nesting properly. In the other, smaller nest, the pair looked very fond of each other.


The young heron on the right side of the picture seems to be the female. She stays on the nest while the other flies around gathering twigs and bringing them to her.

At the Round Pond, this Lesser Black-Backed Gull was in a commanding position on the Number One buoy.


The Maned Goose at the Round Pond is getting more aggressive. Virginia Grey sent me some remarkable pictures that she took late yesterday afternoon, in fading light but they are clear enough. A pair of Egyptian Geese were displaying to each other when the Maned Goose muscled in on the act. Then it attacked the female goose, at one point even holding on to her tail while she tried to fly away.






Virginia said that she has also seen the Maned Goose chasing Canada Geese, which flee as this furious little bird rushes at them.

3 comments:

  1. I'm not sure I can blame the little fella, with the din those Egyptian Geese make when they get going! Jim n.L.

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    1. Perhaps he's so maddened by the noise that he attacks everything in sight, including Canadas. The builders are in next door, so I know just how he feels.

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    2. You've got to give him credit. He's a feisty little critter.

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