Thursday 28 November 2019

Young Herring Gulls enjoy walking along the line of buoys at the edge of the Lido swimming area, which overturn under their weight so that they have to keep moving.


Common Gulls play the same game but, being lighter, they can just manage to stand on a buoy if they're careful.


A Great Spotted Woodpecker appeared in the scrub at the edge of the Long Water next to the bridge.


A Long-Tailed Tit paused on a twig.


A loud rattle announced the arrival of a Mistle Thrush in the big ash tree at the corner of the Dell.


A pair of Magpies seemed highly interested in a spot in the grass on Buck Hill. I thought it might be some kind of insect nest, but looking at the video it seems that someone had just dropped some chopped peanuts there.


A pair of Pied Wagtails ran along the edge of the terrace of the Dell restaurant, a favourite spot for wagtails as insects are attracted to spilt food.


Egyptian Geese can breed at any time of year, however unsuitable, and it seems as if, being originally from Africa on both sides of the equator, they have no idea of the northern seasons. But winter is the time when pairs stand on the tops of trees and claim territory with a tremendous racket. This may be simply because they get a better view of the surroundings when there are no leaves on the trees.


A Red-Crested Pochard drake had a good flap.


It's usually Coots that stand under the Italian Garden fountains getting thoroughly drenched, but Moorhens seem to enjoy it too.


A pair of Carrion Crows played in the updraught at the top of the Household Cavalry barracks tower, dodging around the forest of antennae.


Another crow enjoyed a bowl of guacamole at the Dell restaurant.


Someone had stuck this notice in the Italian Garden: 'Art dies in museums, lives in the street, and now it's on this wall.'


Actually there is a lot of art on the walls on the Italian Garden, as this crow pointed out. But it's probably not the kind this person was thinking of.

2 comments:

  1. Ugh. I'm ashamed on behalf of my nation. Bunch of good-for-nothing vandals who wouldn't know art if it bite them in their posterior. That Crow, on the other hand, shows a much more developed and sophisticated command of aesthetics.

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    1. Oh, we get equally gormless stickers from every nation. My favourite is one saying 'L'idea ha trovato il suo equilibrio. Sei disponibile a cederla?'

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