Friday 13 December 2019

On a windy day, a Pied Wagtail beside the Round Pond was almost blown off its feet while looking for small edible creatures washed up by the waves.


A strong west wind raises quite large waves at the east end of the Serpentine, but Cormorants are used to the open sea and aren't bothered.


The Long Water is sheltered by trees and remains calm. Two female Shovellers fed companionably together ...

... ignoring a showy drake.


A young Herring Gull had dredged up a crayfish and was dismantling it. They eat the whole thing, but there can't be much nourishment in the legs.


A Grey Heron looked very vulture-like in the top of a willow tree.


A Carrion Crow shone in the sunlight in the reed bed at the Diana fountain.


A Robin perched against a harmonious background of dead leaves.


Another ticked irritably at me because I was filming it and not feeding it. Afterwards it came to my hand and ate five pine nuts.


Blue Tits particularly like pine nuts, and take their time savouring them.


Wood Pigeons browsed in a flower bed in the Rose Garden, occasionally pecking at the flowers but mainly looking for bulbs recently planted by the gardeners. However, they didn't seem to manage to swallow them.


The Black Swan took a moment off harassing the Mute Swans and preened on the edge of the Round Pond.


This picture is from a couple of days ago. Some vile person had thrown a lot of books into the Serpentine next to the Diana fountain. Two swans examined them, probably looking for snails rather than enlightenment.


Tom was at Wallasea Island, where he got a fine picture of a female Hen Harrier.

2 comments:

  1. Why would anyone dump books into a fountain?! Way to make a vile behaviour even more abominable.

    Speaking of more cheerful things, it's so funny that the Robin should tick at you because you were taking too long. Becoming overfamiliar, is it? But we'll forgive it everything because it's so pretty.

    I never thought I'd see a Wagtail almost lose its footing. It must have been an extremely strong and disagreeable wind.

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    1. The Round Pond is at the top of a hill (such a good place for a pond) and some distance from the surrounding trees, so it's very exposed. People fly kites there.

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