A Meadow Pipit appeared in the floral border in front of Kensington Palace, and Richard Oxborough got this picture of it.
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Meadow Pipits are seen here occasionally. There is an area of rough grass just to the south which they like. It's called 'the Meadow', confusingly as there is a much large Meadow on the north side of Hyde Park.
Both the tame Coal Tits in the Flower Walk came out to be fed. This one is in the grey leaves of a grevillea.
A Robin emerged cautiously from the flower bed below.
A male Great Spotted Woodpecker made its sharp 'chip' call from a treetop near the Speke memorial.
But I couldn't find a Little Owl here or at the Round Pond. It was a grey and slightly drizzly day and there was nothing to tempt them out of their holes.
Both Peregrines were on the tower, though by the time I got there the male had gone out of sight at the back of the ledge.
One of the youngest two Grey Herons stood at the edge of the island ...
... while the other, on the Diana fountain landing stage, stood in the sunbathing position with half open wings although there was not a gleam of sunshine. Maybe the posture has something to do with removing parasites.
A Black-Headed Gull made sure it was illustrated on the Hyde Park bird chart.
This gull has been a regular visitor for some years, though it hasn't travelled far. It was ringed at Hosehill Lake in West Berkshire in 2015.
A Cormorant jumped on to a chain at Peter Pan ...
... while another stood on the edge of the old water filter at the Italian Garden with its wings outstretched around its mate.
The Little Grebe appeared on the Long Water again. It's a young bird and still has a faint trace of its juvenile black and white head pattern.
It cruised to the dead willow near the Italian Garden and dived with its customary lightning speed.
Two of the newly arrived Great Crested Grebes were fishing around the Coots' nest near the bridge, annoying the Coots.
While the invading Mute Swans with five teenage cygnets are spending their time parading around the Serpentine ...
... the male swan in the Italian Garden has seen his chance of taking over the now empty Long Water and seizing the nesting island. He was at Peter Pan.
His new mate remained in the fountains. Probably he will invite her down soon.
The Tufted drakes are getting their white sides as they go into breeding plumage.
What an obliging and well behaved bird, that Little Grebe, allowing itself to be filmed for such a stretch of time. Ours will just dive as soon as you blink, let alone see you point binoculars at them,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know what Little Owls get up to when they spend all day holed up on account of the drizzy weather. At leat outside they can while away the hours people-watching, or the bird equivalent. NOw seriously, I'd dearly wish we knew what they are thinking about.
Clever gull, making sure that its likeliness is perfectly taken.
Tinúviel
The Little Grebe was filmed over a massive stone balustrade. Birds soon learn that people can't fly over barriers.
DeleteI think birds have an ability to go completely blank, with just a background scrap of consciousness to warn of danger. Look at a nesting bird. It really isn't thinking of anything.