Saturday 7 March 2020

The feeder in the Rose Garden is now regularly attended by a male Great Spotted Woodpecker, a welcome visitor as he scares off the invasive Rose-Ringed Parakeets.


The Long-Tailed Tits in the gorse bush have now completed the sides of their nest and are beginning to arch it over to make the roof. It's not yet clear which side the entrance hole will be.


A Magpie was building a large twiggy nest in a tree near the Lido.


The huge returfing operation on the Parade Ground has slackened on a Saturday and some of the Redwings have come back. Mostly they were in the trees ...


... but a few ventured down on to the last remaining patch of bare ground to look for worms.


A Carrion Crow looked out from the flowering magnolia tree in the Dell.


A parakeet ripped up buds on a horse chestnut tree. They destroy much more than they actually eat, which is what makes them so damaging.


The resident Dunnock at the Lido restaurant foraged under the tables, inches away from people's feet but of course completely unnoticed.


A Robin sang and preened in a bush beside the Long Water. There was another one singing nearby, probably its mate but these solitary fierce little birds haven't started pairing up yet.


Both the Coal Tits near the bridge came down to take pine nuts from my hand. They are getting quite patient about being photographed because they know they will get fed soon.


A pair of pigeons courted on the pedestal of the memorial to Queen Caroline at the edge of the Serpentine, a lake made to please her.


A Great Crested Grebe fished among the submerged branches of the dead willow near the Italian Garden.


The Moorhens in the Dell are still hanging on to their nest site on the rock in the stream. But it's too exposed to succeed. One visit from the resident Grey Heron and it's all over.


The Moorhens in the willow near the bridge have a much better nest site near the top of the tree. It's completely invisible from any angle I can get to. One of them paused to nibble at a few young leaves.

2 comments:

  1. Poor doomed Moorhen. I wish they were capable of learning :-(

    Glad to see the Redwings again. So lovely to see always.

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    Replies
    1. The turf people will probably work on that last patch of bare ground on Monday. Last year we had Redwings till 15 March if I remember rightly, but they will go earlier if there's nowhere they like.

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