Saturday 26 December 2020

The Kingfisher on the Long Water spends much of its time in a bush across the lake from the Peter Pan statue ...


... but it's restless and often disappears into the twigs.


Oddly, it's only a few feet away from the fox that has chosen a fallen tree trunk as a day bed.


The Black Swan has somehow got inside the netting that is supposed to protect the reed bed east of the Serpentine. It may have been chased in there by one of the aggressive male Mute Swans.


I don't know whether it came in through a hole in the net, and is therefore able to leave, or whether it was flying and did an emergency splashdown here. In the latter case it's stuck, since there is not enough clear water for its takeoff run. If it's still there tomorrow I shall have to ring Hugh to come and extract it.

The Goldeneye was in its usual place.


Here are four of the six species of duck on the Long Water. The total would be seven, but the Mandarins seem to have deserted us this year. The Goldeneye hasn't visited the Long Water yet, and remains a mile away at the far end of the Serpentine.


The fifth of the six, a Common Pochard drake, busily diving.


The sixth duck on the Long Water is a Red-Crested Pochard, of which we have just one at the moment, the drake with a Mallard mate and a Mallard drake as the third member of the trio. We sometimes get more Red-Crested Pochards visiting from St James's Park and Regent's Park, both of which have quite large populations of these handsome birds.


A Great Crested Grebe stared out from its fishing spot under the fallen willow by the bridge.


The Grey Heron that stands in the Diana fountain ducked as a Black-Headed Gull did a low pass over its head.


There used to be a pair of Blackbirds in the Rose Garden that came out to be given sultanas, but both have disappeared. I don't think this Blackbird is the female of the pair, as she was very shy and I had some difficulty getting a picture of her.


A Robin hopped about in a bush in one of the flower beds.


This Blue Tit follows me along the edge of the Long Water, demanding pine nuts. It won't come to my hand, and expects to be served on the railings.

4 comments:

  1. It's good to have a Kingfisher there again. I've had more sightings locally this year than ever before with regular sightings on both the River Brent & the Yeading Brook. Always a joy to see!

    Good to see all the various duck including the ever present Goldeneye.

    I'm guessing there'll be plenty of fallen branches there this morning! Have a good day.

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  2. Haven't seen a Kingfisher in a city park in ages. We are so lucky to see pictures of this one.

    I remember the sultanas-loving Blackbirds from earlier months. I hope soon enough other Blackbirds will take up the vacant post and begin to demand sultanas again.

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    Replies
    1. I'm really worried about the Blackbirds. Something seems to have hit them not just in the park but in the whole London region.

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