Tuesday 22 October 2019

The elusive Little Owl near the Albert Memorial was much easier to find than usual, for he was calling as I passed.


This is the oak tree where the pair had their original hole, although they seem to have given up the hole in favour of one in the next tree, on the edge of the path.

One of the Carrion Crows at the Vista stared challengingly, waiting to be fed.


A Rose-Ringed Parakeet ate the fruit of an arbutus tree near the bridge. As well as looking like strawberries, these fruits have a faint strawberry flavour. They can be made into rather tasteless jam.


A small flock of Long-Tailed Tits visited a hawthorn.


A Starling shone in the sunlight as it sang beside the Serpentine.


The Great Crested Grebes from the fallen poplar on the Long Water passed through a golden reflection of autumn leaves.


A Black-Headed Gull looked down apprehensively as a Moorhen climbed up to its post ...


... and dismissed it with a flick of the wing.


The single Common Gull at the Lido is still waiting for its friends to turn up.


The Call Duck was near the shore. She's much too tame, and doesn't even know that she should keep away from dogs.


A Red-Crested Pochard drake preened his showy feathers and shook out his wings to get them nicely arranged.


A pair of Gadwalls looked subtly elegant on the Long Water.


A Cormorant washed frantically and flapped its large and untidy wings.

4 comments:

  1. I have always found Cormorants so funny. They are like ungainly clowns, in the best sense of the word.

    Is it my imagination, or do Moorhens always have a knowing and almost mocking look in their faces when climbing up to knock gulls off?

    I always say, we have reached peak prettiness regarding Long Tailed Tits, and then along comes a picture to prove that Long Tailed Tits' prettiness is infinite.

    I thought the Little Owl was yawning!

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    Replies
    1. Moorhens can't resist knocking gulls off their perches. And I can't resist snapping away whenever Long-Tailed Tits go past.

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  2. re the tasteless jam : you speak from experience?

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    Replies
    1. My great-aunt was a fanatical jam maker and would make jam out of anything.

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