Wednesday 18 November 2015

On a windy day, the Black-Headed Gulls flying upwind over the Serpentine were stationary, or even going backwards.


Carrion Crows enjoy strong winds, and swoop around wildly in the gusts.


The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull claimed another victim. The actual snatch took place behind a Mute Swan, and this picture was taken a few seconds later. The gull didn't carry the pigeon into the water to drown it, and evidently killed it by biting through its spinal cord.


I am pretty certain that when I first saw this gull killing pigeons he did drown his prey, so he has learnt a new and more effective technique.

This young Herring Gull on the south shore of the Serpentine was engaged in a milder activity, playing with a snack packet in an exciting shade of orange.


A few yards away, the older of the two Great Crested Grebe families from the Long Water were fishing together. One adult in winter plumage is framed by two young birds. They were cooperating amicably, though there was a brief spat when one of the young ones lunged at the same fish as the adult, causing them both to miss it.


A Cormorant was fishing near the Lido, hauling up smallish fish from near the bottom of the lake so that they came up draped in weed, which had to be discarded. It managed to separate the two with great speed, and I was lucky to get a picture with a fish in it.


The Black Swan, undaunted by his defeat yesterday, was harassing some Mute Swans in the Lido swimming area. This is cordoned off by buoys, with just one way in at the east end, so he was herding them into a corner and obliging some of them to go onshore.


A pair of Pied Wagtails were running around the grass near the Triangle car park. This is the female, distinguishable by having a grey back. Males have black backs.


I was wrong about our Teal being female. It's an immature male. The ginger and green feathers of his adult plumage are just beginning to come through on his head, and are more noticeable now than when he arrived several days ago. There is also some new black and white vermiculated plumage on his side, under the green speculum of his secondary feathers.

10 comments:

  1. Hi Ralph,

    I've tried to find the little owl a couple of times, but haven't been able to. I'm pretty sure I have the right tree from your description, but can't see either of them. Could you give some more clues for how to spot them?

    Also, do you know where the tawny owls are roosting yet?

    Thanks,

    Lucy.

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  2. You won't find them on a windy day. They hate being blown about. On a calm day you might see the male owl on last year's nest tree, the downhill one of the two chestnut trees they use. But the female owl has certainly deserted the uphill tree, as most of its leaves have fallen off and it no longer shelters her.

    I'm waiting till all the leaves fall off before trying to find the Tawnies. They may be anywhere in a huge area.

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  3. I've seen a couple of yellow-legged gulls kill a poor pigeon in a similar manner. One shudders to think that gulls may somehow be able to share stories (and techniques) with each other.

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    Replies
    1. We've been waiting for other gulls to learn here. I did once see another Lesser Black-Back having a try and failing. There's also a LBB in St James's Park that kills pigeons. It helps our pigeon-killer that he's very large, as big as a big Herring Gull.

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    2. raphe, could it be that only ONE of the Lesser Black backed gulls has learned and advanced the trick of killing the pigeons? Given how long they can live, I think that is possible. Agree with you about how the gull looks, sort of pitt-bull doggish, not willing to let go, once it has a good grip on the hapless pigeon.

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    3. Do you mean that the pigeon-eating gull in St James's Park is the same one as in Hyde Park? It's perfectly possible. But I've never seen the St James's Park one in action. I would recognise it if I did, since the Hyde Park one has unusually deep yellow bill and legs.

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  4. Thanks Ralph,

    When I tried to look before, it wasn't very windy. Maybe I'm looking at the wrong part of the tree. Is he easy to spot when he's out? How high up is he, roughly?

    Thanks,

    Lucy.

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    Replies
    1. Stand between this year's tree and last year's tree and look in the top left corner of last year's tree.

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  5. As always such a pleasant way to end the day reading your blog. So much going on, so many stories to tell and you do so brilliantly.

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