The Great Crested Grebes had flown away to the Thames, as they always do when the lake begins to freeze. They need 50 yards of open water to take off, and are nervous of being iced in. But the Serpentine was not frozen, and there were still two pairs on it.
Little Grebes can take of with only a short run, and are less bothered by ice. One was on the Long Water, just visible under a bush. The other ventured out on to the open water of the Serpentine.
A Mute Swan lay dead on one of the rafts at the east end of the Serpentine. A Carrion Crow saw its chance. Waste not, want not.
The female Little Owl near the leaf yard was in her usual chestnut tree, but was looking around nervously ...
... because there were a couple of crows on a branch.
Her mate was in the hole in the horse chestnut.
The female owl at the Albert Memorial was sunning herself in her oak tree.
A Pied Wagtail ran about on the sandy horse ride along the edge of the Serpentine.
A flock of Long-Tailed Tits flew through the trees at the edge of the lake.
A Blackbird, unable to dig worms out of the frozen ground, filled up on hawthorn berries near the Italian Garden.
The white-faced Blackbird came out to ask for some sultanas.
The usual Robin who comes out to be fed beside the Long Water was joined by another. They were too hungry to fight and came to my hand alternately.
Poor, poor swan. Very sad little video. But then again, perhaps that was what the crow needed to get through the day.
ReplyDeleteI really like winter (well, Spanish winter, that is), but sometimes I think it is stupid and oversentimental to feel for the freezing and hungry birds as I do.
At least feeding the birds helps more of them to survive the winter.
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