Saturday 6 February 2021

A Great Tit ...


... a Blue Tit ...


... and a Long-Tailed Tit dashed around in a tree near the Italian Garden.


You seldom see Long-Tailed Tits staying still for long ... 


... but this one had just eaten a lot of mealworms from the feeder in the Dell and was taking a few minutes to digest them.


The crowd of weekend visitors disturbed a Robin in the bushes beside the path.


When you see a Rose-Ringed Parakeet on the ground it's usually eating dandelion leaves, which they are particularly fond of. These are just beginning to come up, an early sign of spring even if we are heading into a spell of freezing weather.


A Carrion Crow found something to eat in a puddle.


Work has resumed on the Grey Herons' nest on the island. Two were busy adding twigs.


The nest at the west end of the island constantly has a heron sitting in it. I think breeding is getting under way here, though it's impossible to be sure.


Another heron strutted elegantly along the balustrade of the bridge.


The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull was with his mate, whom I haven't seen for some time.


A Common Gull preened on a buoy at the Lido.


A Great Crested Grebe cruised rapidly across the Long Water.


The male of the pair at the west end of the island was resting in his usual place. He has been slow in going into breeding plumage but has now started getting some ginger feathers.


Some weekend visitors to the park had a moment with the police before rampaging on their way.

5 comments:

  1. OMG, what is going on there?! It actually made me even spray water off my nose laughing.

    That Long Tailed Tit is so much like a miniature vulture who has eaten so much it is unable to get airborn, which happens quite often.

    The Grebe is looking so fine and elegant in its new crest!

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    1. I don't think you will be very surprised to hear that I don't have the faintest idea what was going on there. But when it happens, all you can go is step out into the road and push the Record button on the video camera.

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  2. Dear Ralph,
    I am trying to make a feeder for long tailed tits. Are they going to eat dried mealworms, or should I get live ones? Thanks, Arpad

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    1. They will happily eat dried mealworms. Use a normal seed feeder with a plastic tube and four feeding holes. Note, though, that dried mealworms will make the inside greasy and foul, so that you need to wash it every few weeks: try to get a feeder that can be dismantled. Also, mealworms smell vile, so wash your hands after filling the feeder, and try to avoid getting traces on your clothes.

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  3. Thanks a lot for the valuable advice. The Cold has arrived, they will surely appeciate some extra calories...

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