Friday 30 October 2015

The Black Swan was cruising along the south shore of the Serpentine in a determined manner. It was looking for the young Mute Swan that it has taken a fancy to -- that is, the first one it found, not the older one it was stalking yesterday. It found the young swan onshore near the Lido, being given bits of bread. It gave a short call, rather like a quiet Herring Gull call, and the young swan immediately came over to greet it.  The two went off happily side by side to beat up some other swans.


The Black Swan is quite vocal in a quiet way. It also has a melodious two-toned hoot.

One of the parents of the Great Crested Grebe family was having a wash near the bridge, and didn't want to be bothered by the appeals of one of its chicks, now hulking teenagers that ought to be doing their own fishing.


A Lesser Black-Backed Gull on the Serpentine was having a good scratch.


A Herring Gull was drinking the carefully filtered water of the Diana fountain.


A Blackbird was eating yew berries in a tree near the Henry Moore sculpture.


Several Mistle Thrushes collected in an adjacent tree before diving into the yew, where they went round the back so I couldn't photograph them.


But it was good to see them. There is a severe shortage of thrushes of any kind in the park.

A flock of Long-Tailed Tits flew through the olive trees next to the Lido restaurant, annoying the local Robin, which claims the trees as its territory.


A flight of Goldfinches passed through the treetops on the east side of the Long Water.


The male Little Owl was on his favourite branch, enjoying a brief sunny spell.


His mate was in one of her accustomed places in the next tree.

4 comments:

  1. The black swan's shenanigans are shaping up like an ornithological soap opera. Endlessly entertaining!

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    1. I do hope that no one from another park realises that one of their Black Swans is missing, and comes and kidnaps this stroppy bird.

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    2. That would be horrid - I agree that the Black Swan appears to be very promising in the antics department, and seems ready to provide winter-long entertainment to the readers of this blog.

      I wonder what the local Robin was doing the scare off the intrepid longtailies? I wonder if he was adorably displaying its red breast and bobbing up and down. Doubtlessly other robins will find it threatening!

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    3. The Robin was knocked out of the small tree by the sudden arrival of a dozen mixed tits and retreated to a bush, chipping angrily.

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