It was a bright frosty morning, and the sunshine brought the Little Owl near the Speke obelisk out to the edge of his hole.
Incidentally, since the female is never seen at this hole as far as I'm aware, it seems to be the male's private den. I don't know where the female lives, and I don't think anyone else does.
Magpies poked around in the hard frozen ground of a flower bed in the Rose Garden. One found a rose hip.
A Pied Wagtail preened beside the Serpentine, then went into the chilly water for a quick bathe.
A Coal Tit came out in the corkscrew hazel in the Flower Walk ...
... and so did one of the many Great Tits. They are so common that I forget to photograph them, but they are very handsome.
As the sun started to go down, I was coming home by the Albert Memorial. The beautiful golden evening light fell on a male Chaffinch ...
... his mate ...
... a Blue Tit ...
...and a Jay.
A row of Black-Headed Gulls perched on the fallen poplar at the Vista.
A Grey Heron on Buck Hill saw a girl sitting under a tree and advanced on her in the hope that she had some food to give him.
A Moorhen climbed in a willow.
On the shady side of the lake, a Gadwall drake browsed along the edge of the reeds.
In the Italian Garden the male Mute Swan (in the foreground) was preening next to the widow of the dominant pair from the Long Water. His deserted mate, whom he acquired only a few months ago, was left sadly by herself in a pool. It now seems definite that the male has married the widow for her property -- the ownership of the whole of the Long Water.
The Swan saga is gripping. Eat your heart out Eastenders.
ReplyDeleteThere was a fox sunning itself on the south side of the island this afternoon. You have suggested in the past that a fox could swim to the island but I can't remember if one has been observed there before.
Well spotted. I probably walked past that fox without noticing. And no, I've never seen a fox on the island.
DeleteThere was no way you could have spotted it. I was on the south side and I was in a rowing boat and it was sun-bathing behind vegetation
DeleteSo he married a heiress? Does marrying her pass along kingship, like Penelope apparently did
ReplyDeleteTinúviel
More like the Middle Ages, or even the Golden Bough. You have to kill the old king to be king yourself.
DeleteLovely light on the Chaffinches.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful day yesterday-not feeling too cold in the winter sunshine if you were well wrapped up.
I was wrapped up like an Egyptian mummy and still freezing. And it's only going to get colder. I hate winter.
DeleteYes tomorrow (Sunday) looks to be worse with it not going above freezing by day & the possibility of the white stuff arriving.
ReplyDeleteAargh.
Delete