Friday 24 November 2017

One of the young Great Crested Grebes was fishing under the willow tree near the bridge.


Two Little Grebes appeared on the Long Water, but on the far side of the lake so this is a very distant picture of one of them.


I have never heard them calling, and don't think they are mates -- probably they're the same sex.

One of the pair of Egyptian Geese in the Rose Garden flew up ...


... to explore a hole in the dead tree as a possible nest site.


I don't think there's enough room in it, but there must be lots of trees with holes not too far away.

The Egyptian Goose whose foot was trapped in a loop of wire was in the Diana fountain enclosure as usual. He is now walking and running normally, but it's clear that his foot still hurts and he is glad of a chance to sit down.


Three Herring Gulls danced to bring up worms, but the young one at the back had still not quite got the hang of it.


I wondered what would happen if I threw a peanut into the fast flowing stream in the Diana fountain. Carrion Crows couldn't catch it as it went, but a Herring Gull expertly swooped on it.


The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull kept the crows off his kill, but as soon as he left it for a moment a crow rushed in and starts eating.


A young Herring Gull played with a baby's dummy.


This is a first-winter Common Gull, just beginning to grow adult grey feathers on its back.


Both the Coal Tits at the bridge came out to be fed, and took several pine nuts each. They cache them in cracks in bark.


Both the Little Owls near the Albert Memorial were on show, the female looking out of the hole in the oak tree ...


... and the male near the top of the same tree.


The female owl by the Henry Moore sculpture could also be seen at the edge of the hole in the lime tree.


This is a Shaggy Parasol mushroom in the shrubbery at the northwest corner of the bridge.

2 comments:

  1. Gulls will always carry the day! When it's a matter of thievery and maneouvring, that is.

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    1. Not sure whether the birds enjoyed this rather unkind experiment, but it certainly got them moving.

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