Sunday 26 August 2018

It rained steadily. Even the Mallard ducklings were wet.


And adult female Mandarin is a bit more waterproof.


One of the Great Crested Grebe chicks from the east end of the island pressed its mother to look for fish.


The family at the other end of the island were having a quiet moment under the bushes.


One of the young Grey Herons, I think the first one to leave the nest, had flown up to it again and was huddled up in the rain.


The notorious Lesser Black-Backed Gull eyed a couple of Feral Pigeons on the Dell restaurant roof. He and they knew that any aggressive move would instantly cause them to drop off the edge out of harm's way.


A Pied Wagtail hunted along the edge of the Serpentine next to the soaked and deserted terrace of the Lido restaurant.


A Wood Pigeon ate berries in a pyracantha bush next to the Lido entrance.


The rain suited the Blackbirds fine, and plenty of them were out looking for worms.


The Mistle Thrushes and Starlings on Buck Hill had the same idea.


The Kestrel was sheltering under an overhanging branch. She gave me a severe look. I was frightening the mice away.


After these grey rainy pictures, some taken on Buck Hill yesterday. David Element got a dramatic shot of the Kestrel being harassed by a Magpie.


Tom sent a fine picture of the Whinchats (which I didn't see today, but I was getting wet and not inclined to hang around).


David even captured one of them in flight.


He also sent this close-up of a young Green Woodpecker. It had been digging out ants from a nest, and some of the survivors were on its face.

7 comments:

  1. Hope you didn't get too wet. Managed to complete my local patch before the rain began. lovely Whinchats- haven't found any yet.

    Just for accuracy the Wood Pigeon is in a Pyracantha + not a Cotoneaster- you'd soon notice the difference if you put your arm in it!

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    1. Thanks, will correct.

      Judging by today's report on the London Bird Club Wiki, the Whinchats seem to have passed through and are now gone.

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  2. Sorry you got wet. The Heron and the ducklings are looking miserable, and I imagine humans must have thought alike.

    There is some chance, although very small, that those Whinchats may pass through here while flying down to Africa.A few birds fitted with English rings have been seen while passing through on their way to subtropical Africa.

    Pigeons are really something. They are relaxing in close proximity to an apex predator.

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    1. The pigeons so close to the gull remind me of scenes in African wildlife documentaries of antelopes close to lions at waterholes. But all have to visit a waterhole, and there is no need for the pigeons to perch so close to the gull. They aren't relaxing, though. One movement towards them and they'll be off.

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    2. Looks like those pigeons are effectively doing sentry duty. Jim

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    3. I don't think they're very altruistic. When the gull moves, it's sauve qui peut.

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