Monday 11 January 2021

A grey day and not much happening. The dominant Mute Swan at the west end of the Serpentine amused himself by chasing off another swan. The defeated bird swam away, and the victor celebrated with a mighty flap.

Four swans belted up the Serpentine to gain altitude for crossing the bridge.

One of the pair of Egyptian Geese at the Henry Moore sculpture stretched a wing.

The pair of Mallards in the Dell stood on the edge of the waterfall, enjoying the feeling of water running over their feet.

Common Gulls like walking along the line of plastic buoys at the Lido. They can just keep their balance and avoid tipping over the buoy if they put their feet exactly in the middle.

The widowed Lesser Black-Backed Gull at the Lido may have found a mate. He was with a female gull (females are smaller) and they were making occasional affectionate noises at each other.

A Black-Headed Gull won a bit of stale-looking bread from someone who was feeding the swans. Unlike Carrion Crows, they haven't picked up the trick of dunking food in the lake to soften it.

The gull with ring number EZ73323 was on its usual post. It's only when a gull has something distinctive like a ring that you notice how they stay in the same place when not flying around.

A Grey Heron stood in the second nest from the top on the island. The other herons were away ...

... and one of them was standing on the bridge glaring at a heron's old enemy, a Carrion Crow.

A Magpie perched on the balustrade of the Italian Garden in front of Queen Victoria's crown.

A Robin looked out from a rose bush in the Rose Garden.

A Rose-Ringed Parakeet ate a Granny Smith apple the same colour as itself ...

... but they much prefer red apples.

2 comments:

  1. Being chased by the dominant Swan is a scary proposition. It is as large as it is aggressive and twice as much of a bully.

    Love the pictures of the Robin and the Magpie posing proudly with its crown! Hope Queen Victoria will be amused.

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    1. I don't think I've ever seen that swan involved in a fight, though he must have had some on his way to the top. Now he just charges at other swans and they flee willy-nilly.

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