A Great Tit moved around in a hawthorn tree near the Italian Garden, singing the classic two-note version of his song.
Long-Tailed Tits hunted insects in the small hawthorn trees next to the Italian Garden. This is one of their favourite places, and they are low enough to be easy to photograph.
Two Redwings looked for worms in the mud of the Parade Ground.
A Carrion Crow was digging in a flower pot at the Lido restaurant, probably searching for vine weevils.
A Robin sang in the red hazel bush in the Flower Walk.
A fine picture by Gary Crofts of a Green Woodpecker in a dead tree at the foot of Buck Hill.
Heavy rain overnight had left large puddles, and the Feral Pigeons took the opportunity to bathe. The one in front has the colour scheme of the original wild Rock Doves from which they are descended, and the other has the darker pattern which pigeon fanciers call Blue Chequer. Oddly, Blue Chequer is the commonest pattern of London pigeons.
Another enjoyed a sunny spell in the Rose Garden.
A Grey Heron parent attended to the chick in the nest on the island, which was clacking loudly. So far I can only hear one.
The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull now has the fully white head of his breeding plumage. He's the best looking gull in the park, and he knows it.
Another Black-Headed Gull ringed by the indefatigable Bill Haines, 2V12. These orange plastic rings can be hard to distinguish from red ones when the colour of both has faded.
A Moorhen balanced on top of a plastic nest to preen, just because it could. They delight in their agility.
A stiff wind encouraged Mute Swans to fly.
The very aggressive male at the east end of the Serpentine was beating up the others.
Three good pictures by Tom from Rainham Marshes: a male Sparrowhawk ...
... a male Bearded Tit ...
... and some Barnacle Geese on the river.
He's clearly saying "tea-cher, tea-cher, tea-cher" That's what I learned Great Tits say in English!
ReplyDeleteMoorhens, Gulls and Crows all do things because they can. It must be an exhilarating feeling.
Yes, the classic Great Tit song. But only a third of them or fewer sing exactly that.
DeleteOne of the best crow sights is over the river when there's a strong wind and they are just having fun wheeling and tumbling in the turbulent air.
Black-headed Gull 'orange 2V09' was originally ringed with metal-ring EL35626 by Phil Belman beside the Thames at Westminster in February 2019. It was seen at the Italian Fountain in Kensington Gardens later that year (November), before I recaptured him (yes, it's a boy - based on measurements taken at re-capture) in December 2020 and was fitted with its unique colour-ring. These colour-rings make it much easier to identify specific individuals, and generate more re-sightings than metal rings alone (which can take a lot of patience and good optics to read, providing they stay still enough and don't fly off off). 'Orange 2V09' is a regular winter visitor and appears to commute regularly between the Serpentine and the Long Water (as probably do many of the Black-headed Gulls).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information. I find metal rings impossible to read with binoculars, and have to walk all round the gull (if it will stay in place for long enough) taking pictures with the zoom lens, which I then blow up to find the number.
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