... and the female on her current favourite branch in the sweet chestnut.
The female owl at the Albert Memorial was at the top of her oak.
In the lime near the Henry Moore sculpture, the female owl had her feathers sleeked down as she basked, and at first I thought the male, smaller than her, had come back to the tree.
Geese have to take a democratic decision about whether to fly. In this case the Greylag that started the movement by calling and stepping forward only managed to take a minority with it.
A Cormorant on the Long Water separated a fish from the weed that had come up with it.
Great Crested Grebes remain very elegant in their sober winter plumage.
A Magpie had been bathing in the Serpentine, and was drying its feathers on the railings.
The beautiful red Japanese maples don't generally attract birds -- either the twigs are too thin to perch on comfortably or they don't harbour many insects. But this Magpie was moving around the tree in search of something.
A Blue Tit came out to be fed.
Another trip to St James's Park to check on the Black Swans. The couple were together for the third day, and are definitely an item. They kept away from the other five Black Swans. The swan at the beginning of the clip is the adult who spent a long time in Hyde Park.
Of course I photographed a pair of Little Grebes.
The Guards know how to take a dog for a walk in style.
As the band passed, a Carrion Crow was mildly interested, but for a Moorhen and a Bar-Headed Goose it was business as usual.
The crow soon went back to turning over leaves to see if there were insects underneath.
I’m surprised that the Black Swans want to stay at St James’s Park, as it is smaller than the lake at Hyde Park. However there are few fewer Mute Swans to get in the way when there’s food on offer.
ReplyDeleteThe Little Grebes are glorious
That's it, I think. There's a lot of competition on the Serpentine, and the Long Water is a no-go area because of the dominant pair.
DeleteVery charming and dare I say regal-looking, the guard taking that enormous dog for a walk. We Spaniards have to make do with the Legión and its pet goat (which is probably the most beloved animal in Spain):
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYXaDIayK_Y
That magpie has obliged us all by posing against such a lovely background.
Wonder what the goat thinks about having to march at the double.
DeleteDog doesn't look too impressed; but then Irish Wolfhounds rarely do. Like his cape with the buttons though.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the dog is suffering from having that band behind him.
Deletelittle doubt ...
DeleteLots of great photos and video, yet again in your blog today! Thank you. The red maples are interesting and we have some planted in our garden in California, now just turning red this week. Warblers seem to like them, and squirrels eat the seeds voraciously before they hit the ground. I didn't know what kind of dog that was in the parade. Is there some historical significance to the dog being walked?
ReplyDeleteThe dog, who as Ulrike mentioned is an Irish wolfhound, is the regimental mascot of the Irish Guards, which are still part of the British Army. He's called Aengus.
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