Sunday 30 September 2018

A young Great Crested Grebe at the island stretched, in the peculiar concave shape that they find comfortable. A couple of Black-Headed Gulls were hanging around to try to snatch a fish when the parent feeds the young one.


Cormorants dried their wings on the posts. Their numbers are still increasing as they arrive to eat this year's young fish, which they will do with terrible efficiency till few are left.


A Grey Wagtail ran across the island. In spite of their bright yellow undersides they are remarkably well camouflaged, and I wouldn't have noticed it if it hadn't been calling.

 
The pigeon-killing Lesser Black-Backed Gull was between meals, and stood on the roof of the Dell restaurant against a background of autumn leaves.
 

A Moorhen pushed a Black-Headed Gull off a post at a bridge. It then went along the chain to the next post and pushed a gull off that one too. There is no doubt that they enjoy this.


The Coots at the Serpentine outflow have long since abandoned their nest and gone off with their single chick. A Moorhen surveyed the debris that has collected.


Idiots enjoy throwing iifebelts into the lake. On the other hand, the lake is very shallow at the edges, and when people fall in, which they do quite often, they can just stand up until someone finds a way to pull them up the slippery edge.

The discovery of what is certainly a domestic West of England Goose at the Round Pond raises the question of whether this is one too, or a wild Greylag that just happens to have white patches and blue eyes. It was on the south shore of the Serpentine.


Also here, a Jackdaw perched on a post supporting a young tree. They are expanding their territory, and will soon cover the whole park.


In Richmond Park Jackdaws have become so numerous that there are forcing out the Carrion Crows.

The two young Grey Herons perched on a boathouse roof, a good distance apart. Once inseparable companions, they are now becoming solitary adults.


A Long-Tailed Tit paused for a moment on a twig beside the Long Water.


The Coal Tits near the bridge came out to be fed.


The Robin here wasn't doing anything exciting, but I like Robins so here is a video of it.


A Wren foraged in dead leaves at the edge of the Serpentine near the Dell restaurant.


A Crane Fly perched on a grass stem on Buck Hill.


We haven't had a picture of a whale on this blog before, as they are uncommon in the Serpentine. But Tom was at Gravesend, and got a picture of the Beluga which has come up the Thames estuary.

2 comments:

  1. A Beluga? For real?! That is a once in-a-lifetime experience, I bet.

    There can never be too many videos of Robins.

    That Jackdaw appears to be contemplating world domination.

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    1. Richmond Park is completely dominated by hundreds of Jackdaws. If you sit at a café table they land on it and try to steal your food. But they are so charming than no reasonable person would mind.

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