Wednesday 14 November 2018

The Black Swan is really pushing her luck on the Long Water. She swaggered in with her fine ruffles threateningly raised ...


... and went for the dominant male Mute Swan, actually making him retreat.


I do hope this doesn't end in a serious fight. She may be fierce but she's much smaller than him.

The Kestrel made a momentary appearance over Buck Hill, but she was being chased by a Carrion Crow and the two of them vanished into the rooftops of Bayswater.


The rowan trees were very busy, with two Blackbirds ...


... two Redwings ...


... the solitary Mistle Thrush ...


... a pair of Magpies ...


... and a Jay.


So Jays do eat rowan berries. I haven't seen them doing this before.

Here is some video of the Blackbirds, and a brief clip of the Redwing, which had finished feeding and was having a pause for digestion.


After some of the ludicrous sporting activities that have been going on in the Buck Hill shelter, it's good to see a bit of classic Tai Chi.


On the Serpentine, a young Herring Gull was finishing off one of the pigeon killer's victims, keeping the pigeon killer's offspring away by virtue of being larger.


But both the young birds were scared off when a Lesser Black-Backed Gull came down and gave them the loud 'long call' at point blank range.


The young Grey Herons are beginning to get their white adult faces, and a trace of black is creeping in from the back of the head.


A Robin perched among rosehips in the Rose Garden.

7 comments:

  1. I’m very worried for the Black Swan. Why can’t she stay on the Serpentine and chase less dangerous swans?

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    Replies
    1. Because she's a swan, and swans want to push the limits.

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  2. He's actually giving way. Either he doesn't think a fight is worth his while for whatever reason, or he knows she can be a dangerous enemy and prefers not to meddle with her unless pushed. She seems very confident in herself: I don't think it's all bluff and bluster.

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    Replies
    1. One factor may be that she's a female without a mate, and although she may be a nuisance to him she is not actually threatening his all-important territory. But we shall just have to see how this develops. I shall be watching, of course.

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  3. Do female swans, of whatever kind, usually go in for territorial fights with non-affiliated males?

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    Replies
    1. No. But she doesn't belong to the tribe and doesn't follow the rules. Black Swans have a reputation for aggressiveness and for punching above their weight.

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    2. Thanks. Aggressiveness exceeding that of Mute Swans- that's quite something.

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