Tuesday 28 December 2021

The female Little Owl could be seen in the lime tree on Buck Hill, though the tree trunk on the right blocked a full view.


I went back later hoping for a better shot and found both of them side by side in the squirrel drey, though not showing at all well. The female is on the right.


The Peregrine was back on the Royal Lancaster Hotel. She chooses the downwind side, unlike the Peregrines on the Knightsbridge Barracks who always seem to perch on the side facing the park.


A Carrion Crow looked out from a patch of dogwood near the Lido.


A Magpie looked for insects and worms under fallen leaves.


A Blackbird ate rowan fruit.


Despite milder weather the tits in the Flower Walk were hungrier than ever and followed me all the way along. This is the bold Coal Tit in the corkscrew hazel bush.


One of the pair of Pied Wagtails at the boathouse paused for a moment on the path.


Pochards and Tufted Ducks mingled under a tree beside the Vista.


The Mute Swan pair in the Italian Garden had a mad moment.


A brisk wind whipped up waves on the Serpentine but didn't disturb the serenity of a procession of Greylag Geese.


It encouraged three Mute Swans to fly. A strong headwind saves a lot of energy in taking off.


Even the Grey Herons seemed to be enjoying the wind. One left its nest and flew round the island several times.


Its partner displayed as it passed over.


A shaft of evening sunlight caught an airliner going to land at Heathrow.

3 comments:

  1. It's almost as if the airplane got itself illuminated by a radar!

    It seems to me that the Little Owls are quite companionable and affectionate. They look like they like perching close to one another.

    What a fine close-up of the Crow! And what on earth got into the Swans? Compared to the orderly procession of Greylags, they look like madmen, er, madbirds.

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    Replies
    1. Little Owls sometimes preen their mates, a lovely sight which I have managed to photograph -- see this picture.

      It's not just swans that have those mad moments. Geese do too.

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    2. What an extraordinary image - they just look like a couple of human newlyweds.

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