This heron on the Long Water near the Italian Garden often stands in the water looking ashore, an odd reversal of a heron's usual behaviour. Possibly it is hoping for a rat to pass by in the brambles.
A Carrion Crow on Buck Hill did have a rat, though it's not clear how it got it. The rat looked quite fresh.
A Magpie was eating the remains of a Canada Goose on the Serpentine island. The goose seems to have been considerably torn up, which raises the disturbing possibility that foxes are now swimming to the island. It isn't far for a fox to swim, but so far it seems to have been a safe place for waterfowl to rest and nest.
Another Magpie was giving a Little Owl near the leaf yard a hard time.
A few years ago on the Serpentine there was an odd couple of a Herring Gull and a Lesser Black-Backed Gull, and this may be them again. They were both holding bits of leaf, and I think this was a bonding ritual rather than play.
Then they called loud and long to each other. They are certainly mates.
This Black-Headed Gull with a white plastic ring 28P1 was on the Serpentine on 20 December last year as a juvenile. Now it's come back. Some of our Black-Headed Gulls come from as far away as Finland, but when I reported the ring I found that this one was hatched in Reading, so it hasn't had far to travel.
There was another Black-Headed Gull here on the 18th with a yellow ring 2PSN. Both were ringed by the North Thames Gull Group, so probably it's equally local. Will report both, but don't expect exciting news.
The three young Mute Swans on the Long Water have bcome quite independent, roaming around without their parents, But they haven't been thrown out yet, and the family came together when they saw someone feeding the birds at the Vista.
The young ones haven't made a successful flight yet. It takes a lot of practice before they can keep their balance in the air.
There was a brief glimpse of the young Grey Wagtail on the little plank bridge in the Dell. It was hatched in a nest under this bridge.
A male Ring-Necked Parakeet was eating hawthorn berries at the bottom of Buck Hill.
A Robin was singing very quietly to itself in a yew tree beside the Long Water.
So many noticeable things today! I think I may have found a picture for Christmas cards this year: that Robin is absolutely perfect. Lovely, lovely picture.
ReplyDeleteGreat news about our Heron! One is tempted to think that they don't have long memories, otherwise it ought to be a little more shaken. It seems cool as a cucumber, even after its ordeal.
Perhaps ethologists ought to study gulls in as much depth as they do primates. There is plenty of interesting behaviour to observe: the longer a gull is known, the more surprising its behaviour gets.
Regarding the crow and the rat, I remember seeing footage of a raven attacking and killing (by pecking it to death) a very very large and very aggressive rat. I wouldn't put it past the crow.
There must be a study of gull behaviour somewhere, though I have never seen one. Gulls are known by all to be very intelligent and adaptable, and to have a culture in which successful feeding strategies are quickly learnt by other gulls. After so many studies on crows and geese, someone must have thought of this fascinating group of birds.
DeleteI wonder if the park would allow a trail cam or something to put up or dorm thing similar to check whether the foxes are swimming across or even as a way of trying to spot the Tawny Owls? I definitely don't want anything like another goose or swan death
DeleteIf i had an infra-red camera that would take one picture every ten seconds I wouldn't ask, I'd just stick it in a tree fork. But I don't.
DeleteAgreed an infra-red camera would provide interesting images, but how would one prevent a fox from swimming across? And , frankly- why?
DeleteNot that I don't feel for the victims, but foxes need to eat,too. And we can't tell them what to eat. (Earthworms would probably rather not be eaten, as much as geese don't)
Yes. The park already contains as many foxes as it will hold. They are an inescapable part of London now, and a fascinating one.
DeleteWe tried to feed the heron this morning but he was not that interested. Wonder why? You wouldn't have thought so after the 5 day starvation...
ReplyDeletePerhaps it went on a fishing rampage as soon as it was able to use its beak?
ReplyDeleteIt might be like it is with humans in a way.
ReplyDeleteAfter I had Appendicitis at the beginning of the summer I didn't want to eat anything afterwards although I was starving.
It might not want to eat too much after being without food otherwise it's insides might not agree.
Just a suggestion; happy to be disagreed with!
Not surprised by this. The last time the heron was given a bit of chicken, the next thing that happened was that someone threw a net over him and he had a very stressful two minutes. He will remember this rather than his successful release. Birds simply do not do gratitude. But he was just offshore from the restaurant and looking wistfully at this source of delicious food. I think he'll come round. But give him time to recover.
ReplyDeleteBirds occasionally do do gratitude, nay. There have been cases of corvids repeatedly leaving bright objects where people regularly leave food for them. I can possibly do better. Late one day a few winters back when there was deep snow I put some cake out in my back garden and in person drew the attention of the hen of the local blackbird pair to it after they failed to see it; they tucked in voraciously. Soon after as I was sitting by a window upstairs with the light on, the hen appeared on the sill next to me and paused for a couple of seconds, something that has never happened before or since. Jim.
ReplyDeleteThat's pleasing to hear. But I have a lingering suspicion that the Blackbird was wondering if there was any more cake.
DeleteNo, there was far more cake than they could have eaten that day, it was a large part of a substantial fruit cake. Possibly some was left the next morning, I think for it all to have gone that evening I'd have been aware of some commotion. Jim
DeleteYour swan photo is absolutely gorgeous....
ReplyDeleteYou just have to wait till you can see all five heads facing the same way, and press the button. They do the rest for you.
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