The young Lesser Black-Backed Gull is still chasing its pigeon-eating parents demanding a share. Here it is pestering its father, and about to be chased away. It is quite old enough to do its own scavenging.
The young Great Crested Grebes on the Long Water were being fed non-stop by their devoted parents in front of the Bluebird Boats platform. The platform provides shelter and an illusion of safety to the fish. The grebes, of course, know about this and dive under it for easy prey.
The white Mallard was preening her shining wings in the sunlight.
Some people think she is a domestic duck. But today there was a farm festival on Buck Hill with various animals on display including some domestic ducks. They are the same brilliant white, and have the same orange bills and feet, but they are much larger. Our Mallard is a real wild duck who just happens to be leucistic.
The sunshine brought the Reed Warblers out to the front of the reed bed near the bridge. This one was quite interested in being photographed, and stayed out for some time occasionally looking at me.
The rowan trees on Buck Hill attracted a Carrion Crow, which ate a remarkable amount of fruit before flapping heavily away.
The male Little Owl was on his usual branch in last year's nest tree.
A Comma butterfly was looking particularly beautiful on a flower near the bridge.
I met Mario, who took me on a very interesting tour of the current park mushrooms. This is perhaps the strangest one we saw, a Bird's Nest fungus. It resembles a tiny bird's nest full of eggs, which contain its spores. I am not sure of the species, as there are five genera of these remarkable fungi.
I enjoyed your picture of the Gadwalls a few days ago. My RSPB book says that the Gadwall is an "undistinguished" duck, but I enjoy studying all of the subtle shades and patterns of the male's breeding plumage
ReplyDeleteHow very wrong to call a Gadwall 'undistinguished'. It is like dismissing a Savile Row suit in favour of a clown outfit.
DeleteLove that! Gadwall plumage is astounding at close range too, a lovely vermiculation
DeleteWonderful! I love the crow eating berries, I've never witnessed this myself!
ReplyDeleteOur park crows will eat absolutely anything. Their main diet is the rubbish from the cheap restaurants in Queensway. This shows in the fact that the young ones often have white bands in their flight feathers from some dietary deficiency. They have normal black plumage after their first moult, when they have stopped growing.
DeleteDo you think is a young bird? There is a bit of pink in its mouth.
ReplyDeleteI once thought about compiling a list of birds eating rowan berries, my loveliest is a Rosefinch, but I'm sure you have a much more impressive photo collection.
I think you're right. Its neck looks a bit thin, without the full adult ruff. I've never been lucky enough to see a Rosefinch in the park, and apparently neither has anyone else -- see list on right.
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