Friday 30 November 2018

A Great Spotted Woodpecker climbed a tree near the Italian Garden.


I had gone over to this tree because a Mistle Thrush, encouraged by the sunshine, was singing.


But before I got close enough to video it, it stopped and flew over to a squirrel drey, where it settled down comfortably in the dead leaves.


There were more Mistle Thrushes in the rowan tree on Buck Hill and two near the Dell, though this pair are permanent residents rather than winter migrants, and nest here.

There were also a Redwing ...


... a Blackbird ...


... and a Jay in the rowan, all eating fruit.


A Jackdaw preferred to wait for a peanut.


A Coal Tit in the shrubbery at the southwest corner of the bridge was also expecting to be fed, and flitted about irritably when I tried to photograph it.


This Black-Headed Gull from Poland has been a regular visitor for years, and always stands on the north edge of the Serpentine near the Triangle car park.


There were no Mute Swans at the Vista, so the Black Swan had a moment of peace and could lord it over some Canada Geese.


A Great Crested Grebe caught a perch among the submerged twigs of the collapsed willow nest to the bridge.


A Moorhen on the edge of the Serpentine washed, shook off the water, preened and stretched, then walked off, satisfied.


There are usually 200 or so Coots on the Serpentine. They have a meeting place on the north shore where they assemble peacefully side by side and preen -- you never see a Coot fight here although fights are frequent elsewhere. A single Moorhen ignored the assembly and poked around for food.

4 comments:

  1. Lording it over a bunch of Canadas is no mean feat, even for the Black Swan.

    What a Parliament of Coots! They are so orderly and conduct their business in such an uncoot-like manner.

    I really would have loved to hear the Mistle Thrush sing. Everything is pretty silent here.

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    Replies
    1. I love Mistle Thrushes, but their song is nothing compared to the joyful silliness of the Song Thrush or the creative musicianship of the Blackbird. They have a Blackbird's voice but no ideas, and just sing the same phrase over and over.

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  2. I always think coots en masse resemble a vicars convention!!!

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