Sunday 17 November 2019

Both the Coal Tits at the bridge are now coming to my hand to be fed. It took the male months to pluck up his courage and follow his mate, but at last the bribe of delicious pine nuts has had its effect.


There has never been any difficulty with the bold Blue Tits, which sometimes barge the larger Great Tits out of the way.


A pair of Chaffinches foraged under the bushes. With luck we should be able to hand feed these in time.


There were three Jays here touting for peanuts.


A Robin perched on a twig in the Rose Garden.


The male Little Owl near the Albert Memorial was only visible for a moment ...


... because a squirrel insolently stood on top of his nest hole, seen by him through the crack in the top of the branch. He retreated up the hollow branch.


A very large Herring Gull on the edge of the Serpentine stared at the camera.


There was a good turnout of Cormorants on the Long Water, occupying the posts at Peter Pan and several fallen trees.


A Moorhen investigated a floating bread bag to see if there were any crumbs in it. Both Moorhens and Coots seem to recognise this type of bag and pay it particular attention.


A Shoveller drake cruised past the Vista.


David Element sent a fine portrait of a Pintail at the Barnes Wetland Centre.


A few years ago we used to get occasional visits from unusual ducks, including Pintail, Wigeon and Garganey. But since the Wetland Centre opened, these seem to pass over without stopping. We seldom see even a Teal, and the number of Shovellers has fallen considerably.

The Black Swan on the Round Pond picked small things out of the water, probably insect larvae.


Joan Chatterley sent the latest picture of the young Black Swan in St James's Park, here seen beside one of its parents. It's now fully grown but still noticeably light coloured.


A fine close-up shot by Tom of a male Bearded Tit at Rainham Marshes.

4 comments:

  1. Its ruffles are not as fine as those of our much beloved Black Swan, but it is a handsome bird. Glad the Black Swan youngster has turned up very fine, too.

    I'd love to see that Blue Tit send Great Tits packing. Plucky little bird.

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    1. The Blue Tit charges straight at the Great Tit like a dodgem car, and the Great Tit has no choice but to get out of the way.

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  2. There were 3 male Pintail at Rainham Marshes RSPB last weekend (not the one just gone, predecessor).

    Rain ham now have active Short-Eared Owl (it has always puzzled me that these were not a feature, given the habitat being spot-on for their hunting method). Do they ever turn up in Hyde Park? I've been there at dusk now and again, but never spotted any.

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  3. The all-time list for the park includes Short-Earerd Owl, but I don't know when any were seen and Andrew Self's excellent book The Birds of London is no help here.

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