A New Year owl

A very happy New Year to everyone. The male Little Owl by the Speke obelisk perched in front of his hole to mark the occasion.

A Blue Tit here has started coming out of the brambles to be fed on the ground. It's seen the four Great Tits getting fed every time I come to look for the owl.

The pair of Chaffinches in the Flower Walk are now following me most of the way to the Round Pond. This look from the female means 'Will you stop pointing that thing at me and produce a pine nut?'

The Robin at the Henry Moore sculpture was in a better mood and came out to be fed.

The male Blackbird in the Dell also accepted some raisins, of which Blackbirds are particularly fond.

A Pied Wagtail on the edge of the Serpentine hunted among fallen leaves and rubbish.

The Black-Headed Gull at the landing stage uttered menacing cries at some gulls that were coming too near his territory.

The new turf laid in the Diana fountain enclosure is being pulled up (and not put back because the gardeners are not allowed any initiative and only do things on orders from the central office). I thought this was the work of Carrion Crows, which often turn over turf to look for worms, but it turns out to be Herring Gulls. Probably they get more worms this way than by doing their dance.

The female Peregrine arrived on the barracks during the morning.

Cormorants, though, were leaving. There were a dozen on the Long Water in the morning but half of these soon flew off to find somewhere better.

There are still fish to be had. Ahmet Amerikali got a picture of one with a fair-sized perch under the Italian Garden. But the Cormorants now have to work hard to find anything worthwhile.

The Little Grebe in the Italian Garden has finally annoyed the Gadwalls so much that they have gone down to the main lake. It was lurking in the irises.

A pair of Mandarins preened on the edge of the Serpentine. They are never more than occasional visitors, having discovered that attempts to breed in the park are hopeless because of the hungry gulls.

A pair of Canada Geese washed and flapped together at the Lido. Synchronised washing is a way of expressing their relationship.

Just me and you and Pikachu.