Saturday 9 March 2019

The wind was very strong today, and the Grey Herons' nest was bucketing around dangerously.


The wind raised quite large waves on the lake. Luckily gulls don't get seasick.


I've seen Herring Gulls, Common Gulls and even the small Black-Headed Gulls performing the worm dance, but this is the first time I've seen a Lesser Black-Back doing it. It was on the lawn in the Rose Garden. It didn't manage to bring up any worms while I was there.


A pair of Moorhens enjoyed paddling in the surf. They came ashore and ate each other's parasites, which is the Moorhen equivalent of taking a girl out to dinner.


A pair of Mallards have stolen the Moorhens' nest on the rock in the Dell.


An evicted Moorhen sat on the grass looking disgruntled.


An unusual sight at the platform of Bluebird Boats: a Mute Swan was holding a twig and waving it at another swan. It looks as if both of them are male, so this is not an invitation to nest.


A Carrion Crow pulled a food tray out of a rubbish bag ...


... and was just about to have a snack when the wind blew it away.


A Magpie at the Lido resturant had also been rummaging in the rubbish, and had found a chocolate cupcake wrapper, something that birds absolutely love. It took it up to the roof to eat the crumbs in private.


A Starling on one of the restaurant tables shone in the sunlight.


There has been a Stonechat on the Meadow for several days, but I haven't found it despite repeated visits. It's usually south of Albion Gate, which is on the north edge of the park a few hundred yards from Marble Arch.

All I found there today was a Carrion Crow on a tree with a lamb bone.


There were still a few Redwings on the Parade Ground looking for worms in one of the parts that hasn't been returfed.


Long-Tailed Tits have been flying to what are clearly nest sites in Kensington Gardens, but these are well hidden in the bushes and impossible to see.


A Blue Tit near the bridge posed prettily on a twig.


Sad news from St James's Park: one of the Tawny owlets has been found dead. They had come down to the ground several times, and people had put them back in a tree. But this one's luck finally ran out.

Tom was at Abberton Reservoir near Colchester, where he found three Black-Necked Grebes.

6 comments:

  1. Very sad about the poor dead Tawny baby. May it live happily on beyond the Rainbow Bridge.

    In happier news, the Blue Tit looks smashily pretty.

    That Swan appears to be the bird embodiment of the "speak softly and carry a big stick" motto.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the swan must simply have been gathering twigs for a nest when it happened to pass by another. There didn't seem to be an aggressive display.

      Delete
  2. Mrs Moorhen: "Ouch, excuse me? Oh go on then... Love you too. Love you too. Ok enough now darling." Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it is entirely one way in that clip. But the other one is allowed to have a go too.

      Delete
  3. Amazing colours on the Starling when you see them well like this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The trick is to stand with the sun behind you so that your shadow almost, but not quite, falls on the Starling.

      Delete