Monday 22 February 2021

A pair of Mute Swans displayed and mated at the Lido.


Another pair were courting nearby ...


And as usual, the Black Swan was obsessively following a Mute Swan around.


A pair of Greylag Geese ate dry reeds.


The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull and his mate were together in their favourite place on the Dell restaurant roof.


Two were nattering at each other on the posts at Peter Pan. As so often with gulls, it's hard to tell whether they were courting or quarrelling.


The Black-Headed Gulls are gradually getting their black heads (which in fact are dark brown). The single Common Gull at the right still has the dark-streaked head of its winter plumage.


The Grey Heron on the nest with the chick (not heard recently, I hope it's OK) broke off a twig.


The Peregrines were on the tower with their backs to the drizzle.


A pair of Blue Tits chased each other around in a treetop.


The pair of Coal Tits at the Albert Memorial were in a holly bush. One came to my hand to take a pine nut.


A Long-Tailed Tit arrived at the osmanthus bush in the Rose Garden where I thought the pair were starting a nest. Sure enough, it was carrying a bit of lichen. It only stopped on this rose stem for an instant, and here is the best shot I could get.


A Wren chattered on a twig near the Henry Moore sculpture.


Yesterday Sergey Anpilov saw a Stonechat on Buck Hill, and managed to get a picture of it with a pair of binoculars and his phone -- not an easy thing to do.


I couldn't find it today. It might have crossed the road to the Meadow, where there is a larger area of scrub that Stonechats like. But the drizzle was turning to rain, and I gave up and went home.

Tom was at Harrow Lodge Park, where he got a fine picture of a Water Rail catching a worm.

4 comments:

  1. Hurray for Tom! Very handsome Water Rail. Poor worm though.

    I fear the Mute Swan doesn't appear to be warming up to our poor lonely Black Swan. It's sad to see. Although perhaps there may be a spring miracle in the way.

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    1. Not a good day for that worm. But if worms have nightmares, the worst must be of Robins, which slowly chew them into pieces before swallowing them.

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  2. Some elegant swan images.

    Good to see you had a Stonechat around even if you didn't see it. There's been a fair bit of Stonechat passage through London in recent days. On Saturday I found a group of 6 in Perivale Park on Saturday & on Sunday had a very active group of 5 on my Sunday local patch by Ten Acre Wood. Also seemed to be the start of Meadow Pipit passage as the numbers were double my wintering flock size.

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    1. Will be looking for the Stonechat again tomorrow at the top of the Meadow. Meadow Pipits are rare here but one was seen a couple of years ago in the 'other Meadow' southeast of Kensington Palace.

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