A Grey Wagtail hunted insects along the edge of the lake ...
... and a Pied Wagtail worked over the boathouse roof.
Three Dunnocks were flying around together in the Rose Garden. One perched on a bench for a moment.
A Carrion Crow beside the Serpentine sniffed at a dead Moorhen and decided not to eat it. Evidently Moorhens taste awful, perhaps not surprising when you consider what they eat.
A crow near the leaf yard shook the last bits out of a packet of dog food.
Others enjoyed a brawl.
Fond as I am of crows, there are definitely too many here, which makes it hard to feed the Jackdaws. But these intelligent birds have worked out a strategy of suddenly turning up in a place far enough from the nearest crow to allow them to catch a thrown peanut before they are rushed. Some of them can even catch a peanut in midair.
The Peregrine was on the crane in Knightsbridge.
Black-Headed Gulls are light enough to balance on the plastic buoys at the Lido, and Common Gulls can manage if they're careful, but Herring Gulls are definitely too heavy.
The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull eyed a possible victim ...
... which flew away, so he settled for a slice of pizza. Someone deliberately gave him this -- perhaps she's trying to convert him to vegetarianism.
Some of the Black-Headed Gulls are already getting their black heads (which actually are dark brown).
There was a full house of Cormorants on the posts at the island ...
... including the usual affectionate pair.
The youngest Great Crested Grebes on the Long Water are now at that difficult time when they have to start catching their own fish. Only the strongest and cleverest survive. So far both seem to be all right.
Crossing my fingers and my toes for them. I'm hopeful and confident that we'll see them reach maturity.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Pigeon Killer will find pizza an easier prey? Although perhaps that means he is going to make aerial raids against anyone eating pizza.
So far we've been spared aerial raids by the big gulls, in spite of the number of people eating snacks. But I fear it's only a matter of time before the habit arrives.
DeleteVery relaxing video of the Cormorants. I do enjoy watching them even if they are loathed by many anglers!
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any local Black-headed Gulls with so much dark on their heads yet. Certainly seems precocious given we're only in November!
I was surprised too. But there are now several Black-Headed Gulls going prematurely dark. They are very variable in their timing.
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