Tuesday 1 December 2015

There was a Fieldfare in a rowan tree on Buck Hill, the first I've seen this autumn.


The Mistle Thrushes regard the tree as their own, and were rattling at it angrily.


But it took no notice. It is almost as large as a Mistle Thrush and not easily scared. However, a little Redwing which arrived stayed for only a second before flying away.


There were plenty of Blackbirds flying in and out of the tree from their base in a neighbouring hawthorn.


So that was four kinds of thrush in the tree at once. It was a pity that a Song Thrush didn't join them, though there was one singing on the other side of the lake.

The tree was also visited by Starlings.


The injured Mute Swan was resting on the artificial island in the Long Water, an encouraging sign because it is quite a climb for a swan to get on to the island, and that shows that his leg is working, though obviously painful. The swan is sitting sideways, as if to take the pressure off another injury.


The temporary indisposition of this fierce bird has allowed other swans to edge on to the Long Water. The female can't shoo them away on her own. The Black Swan had ventured under the bridge, though when he saw me he came back to be given a digestive biscuit.


A Carrion Crow was reading a notice, which it obeyed.


However, this Great Crested Grebe completely ignored the regulations.


Another grebe was fishing in the middle of the Serpentine, and a Cormorant invaded its patch. It made a run at the Cormorant, but completely failed to scare it and had to do a quick U-turn to avoid retaliation.

3 comments:

  1. I was watching my favourite pair of mute swans on the Thames yesterday. They were incredibly vocal. Constantly barking, huffing and snorting. I don't remember them being so chatty. Do you know why they do this? Were they just hoping for food? I have to admit that I talk to the swans when birding, so maybe they were just humouring me!

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    1. There's probably a PhD thesis in this. By the way, the Collins Bird Guide mentions that Moue Swan have a contact call transcribed as 'ga-oh', which sounds like the call that Black Swan frequently utters, and is now greeting me with.

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  2. So I'm not the only one that talks to large birds while feeding them? :-)

    What an hilarious and apropos picture of the crow. You have such a wonderful eye for pictures!

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