A Barnacle Goose turned up on the Round Pond. There are occasional sightings here, the last one a couple of years ago, and it's probably the same bird every time. No one knows where it comes from, but it's quite tame and is probably the offspring of a pair in a collection.
Mute Swans enjoy the water intake here. A pair used it as a spot for a bit of courtship.
A skein of Canada Geese headed for a cumulus cloud.
The pair of Egyptian Geese at the Henry Moore sculpture wandered over the newly cleared bare ground. They're going to have a pleasant surprise next week when it's covered in delicious new turf.
There were six Shovellers on the Serpentine. A pair suddenly took off, and I just managed to snatch a hasty and rather poor shot.
The familiar Black-Headed Gull with ring EZ73323 came down from the post where it usually perches and had a preen.
The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull is beginning to go into winter plumage, getting grey streaks on his head.
A young Herring Gull played with a football. In case you think this is an absolutely enormous gull, I should point out that the football is a miniature one for children.
A Robin ticked irritably at the Lido while in the background a Herring Gull moaned loudly, occasionally answered by a Lesser Black-Back.
A Grey Heron at the Lido restaurant noticed that it was nearly lunchtime. But probably it's always lunchtime for a heron.
Carrion Crows perched on the weathervane.
A crow found a bit of apple and trotted off to enjoy it in private.
Another found part of an ice cream cone still with a bit of ice cream, a real treat.
This pair of Jackdaws are often seen on the gravel bank in the Long Water. One played with a twig.
Two Starlings with rings: one at the Round Pond ...
... and another at the Lido.
Not enough of the numbers was visible to know if they were from the same ringing batch.
A Buff-Tailed Bumblebee negotiated a complicated penstemon flower in the Dell.
Is it usual to ring Starlings? I don't think they ring them here.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful Barnacle Goose! They are like the kinder, prettier siblings of the Canadas.
I wonder if the Robin is telling the gulls to shut up.
I suppose people cast nets over mixed crowds of birds and ring everything that survives the assault, a cruel procedure in my opinion however much information it yields. I am unaware of any project to trace the movements of Starlings, and both these rings are routine British ones not linked to any specific survey.
DeleteThere were a couple of Magpies in the vicinity of the Robin -- the usual Magpies that haunt the Lido restaurant looking for scraps -- and I think the Robin was shouting at them.