Monday 16 September 2019

The Kingfisher is back on the Long Water -- or more likely a pair, as it was calling. It perched on the dead willow tree near the Italian Garden.


A Little Grebe also reappeared, under the same tree.


There was a very late family of Greenfinches in the trees on the west side of the Long Water, between the bridge and the Vista. Paul saw the young one being fed.


The Spotted Flycatchers are still here.


Despite the dull autumn day, a Goldcrest was singing in the yew next to the bridge.


A Grey Heron scratched its chin in a nearby tree.


A large flock of Mistle Thrushes flew in to Buck Hill, landing in a treetop. I include this bad distant picture because it shows how many gnats there are 60 feet above the ground. No wonder the place was so popular with House Martins.


The Mistle Thrushes flew down and hunted for insects. The rough grass is still full of grasshoppers.


It's getting harder to reach the remaining fruit on the rowan tree.


A Blackbird also visited.


The Shovellers have starting arriving for the winter. I saw two on the far side of the Long Water, both drakes beginning to come out of eclipse.


One of the Coots at the east end of the Serpentine had returned to its temporary day nest and was tidying it up. Some Black-Headed Gulls made the task harder.


An adult and a juvenile Herring Gull shared the remains of one of the pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull's kills. The adult was surprisingly willing to share. Maybe the young one was its offspring, or simply being tolerated because it was in juvenile plumage.

2 comments:

  1. Great picture of the Kingfisher! Always a spectacular sight.

    I wonder how the Herring Gull would recognize its offspring once it becomes independent. The voice, maybe?

    I think the Gull wants to play with the sticks from the nest, and the Coot is spoiling the fun.

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    1. Great Crested Grebe chicks call only when they can see their parents. I've seen them 50 metres away from a group of diving adults and correctly recognising their parents among them, ignoring the other adults. The parents can recognise individual chicks too. So it's not surprising that a Herring Gull, an intelligent bird with excellent vision, should be able to recognise its offspring.

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