And a Moorhen was enjoying the surf.
There was another Moorhen doing the same thing farther along the shore. It does seem that they deliberately choose to stand in breaking waves.
The rafts at the east end of the Serpentine were tossing about, but the Black Swan was stubbornly carrying on with his nest building amid the wind-lashed reeds.
An Egyptian Goose was sheltering behind a plane tree, but still ruffled by the wind.
The white Mallard and his mate were looking for food in the debris washed up on the edge.
A Pied Wagtail had sensibly chosen to hunt on a windward shore to avoid being washed away by the waves.
A Robin was looking for insects in a sheltered waste bin at the Lido restaurant.
A Blue Tit was holding firmly on to a twig and singing.
I think it's one of the pair that nests in the lamp post at the back of the Lido.
A Treecreeper in the shrubbery on the east side of the Long Water was building a nest in a hole in a fallen branch.
This is one of the odd Mallards, of which there are several on the lake, all different. Jorgen thinks that it is a female with a hormonal imbalance that has caused her to develop partly male plumage.
After the Egyptian Geese debate on yesterday's blog, which British birds normally has the largest breed every year?
ReplyDeleteMaybe Goldcrests, with anything up to 20 in a brood. These tiny birds have to breed like fury because of their very high mortality rate.
DeleteI couldn't find that figure myself but they tend to have two broods, unlike blue tits in this country. If two started breeding unchecked now they would have coalesced into a star outshining the sun before the mid-century. Jim
DeleteInteresting as always, where is the best place to see treecreepers and nuthatches (birds I have yet to see in the park) by the leaf yard?
ReplyDeleteNuthatches may appear anywhere along the side of the leaf yard when you are feeding tits there. Usually the top of the hill is better, as it's nearer their nest sites. Treecreepers sometimes appear on the big oak trees outside the uphill end, and sometimes on a clump of young birch trees on the west side of the Long Water 50 yards south of the Italian Garden, but they can crop up anywhere. It's no use going to look for them -- they just happen.
DeleteI love your blog! I live in Liverpool, so don't get to spend a lot of time in London, but was there a week ago and enjoyed myself so much down by the Serpentine. Great to get to know what the birds down there are up to. :) Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words. If you plan a visit to London and want to be shown round the park, please put a comment on the latest page of the blog.
DeleteHi Ralph,
ReplyDeleteI will be visiting London this weekend and hope to spend a few hours at Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens on Saturday morning.
I visited the park briefly earlier this winter but was not aware that Little Owls were present so I'd be aiming to see them on Saturday. A fellow Irish birder, Marc McLoughlin, who met you there recently, pointed me in the direction of your blog.
If you have any tips on where is best to see the Little Owls (and perhaps Green Woodpecker also) it would be most appreciated.
All the best,
Niall Keogh (Dublin)
Here are instructions for all three pairs of Little Owls. The first pair are not being very cooperative at the moment, but on a calm sunny day you may see one. I saw one in each of the other two places today, Friday.
DeleteLittle Owls 1
The pair are in a tree near the leaf yard, which is the railed enclosure that has the Peter Pan statue on the east side. The tree is an old, very broken sweet chestnut 50 yards from the middle of the south side of the yard, and it has brambles around its base. View it from the west side. On the left of the trunk, the second thick branch from the bottom has two horizontal slits in it next to the trunk. The upper one is the entrance to the owls' hole.
Little Owls 2
From the Albert Memorial, walk north towards the statue of Physical Energy. When the path intersects the bicycle track, turn left and walk along the track for 50 yards, to the next path that crosses it. Right on the near left corner of the crossing is a big oak tree. Look left for a nearby plane tree. Between these two trees is another oak tree, and the owls' hole is in this. Stand under the plane tree and look at this oak. The hole is in a big branch sticking out the right hand side a little above horizontally -- a large round hole in a large round bulge in the branch.
Little Owls 3
You will need binoculars. Go to the southeast corner of the square enclosure around the sculpture -- that is, the corner on the path nearest to the bridge. Look up the hill to the old brick buildings on the left of the Magazine. One of them has a chimney. The Little Owls' tree is directly in front of that, and the hole is in the left fork of this Y-shaped tree. It's maybe 60 yards up the hill from the path. Don't step off the path when looking: any movement towards the owl makes it dive into its hole.
There is often a Green Woodpecker on the Vista between the Physical Energy statue and the lake. There is also often one on Buck Hill near the Italian Garden. But mostly it's a matter of listening and luck.
DeleteFrom the Albert Memorial walk into the park with the gold statue behind you, on your left you will see a stump. Go across the grass and walk towards it, when you get to it look at the nearest path in front of you and there are some big tree between you and the stump, I have been there twice and the owl has been there both times.
ReplyDeleteOr read Ralph's instructions here (which should take you to the same place).
kensingtongardensandhydeparkbirds.blogspot.com/2016/02/for-several-months-little-owl-has-been.html
Thanks for help. I've just written a new description of all three places, and saved it as a file to deal with future queries.
Delete