A tree a short way to the east of the Albert Memorial is a popular gathering place for small birds, including a very bold Coal Tit that came to my hand the first time it saw me ...
... and a Robin which has newly become confident.
The Chaffinches expect you to throw pine nuts for them to catch in midair.
The Czech Black-Headed Gull ET05.589 has incautiously allowed itself to be caught again, this time by Bill Haines, and is now wearing the orange plastic ring 2V57. It looks furious, and no wonder.
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A Cormorant jumped out of a pool in the Italian Garden where it had not found any fish ...
... briefly checked the next pool with the same result, and flew out to the main lake to have a wash.
There were three more Cormorants with a Grey Heron on the Mute Swans' nesting island, but really it's no longer worth their while staying here and they will probably all go back to the river soon.
The Mallards and the Gadwalls were quite peacefully sharing the benefit of the creatures stirred up by the Little Grebe.
A Moorhen walked round the rail of a planter, just because they enjoy balancing.
Virginia took some very pleasing pictures of a Coot ...
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... and a swan slipping on the ice.
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Two Shoveller drakes fed on the Round Pond in the evening light.
Micaela Maguolo de Souza-Girão sent a lovely picture of the Black Swan in the sunset.
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When it was already dark Jenna Marcouli found a tiny white goose on the Serpentine and took a flash photo on her phone. She said it was only slightly larger than a Mallard. It's probably a Ross's Goose, a North American species, maybe the free flying offspring of some in the St James's Park collection. They also have Snow Geese but those are a bit larger.
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Some pictures from outside the park. Tom got this fine shot of a Dartford Warbler at Rainham Marshes.
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Mark Williams reports that a third Robin has joined the feeding party at the St James's Park leaf yard, and a fourth is likely to come soon.
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Another splendid Kingfisher picture from Jukka Tiipanen, this one at Espoo near Helsinki.
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Hi Ralph. Jon confused me a little bit but my first guess could be right. Hopefully it might still be about tomorrow for someone to check in the broad light. It really is a size of a duck. Very tiny.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly looks like a Ross's to me, with a very short bill. Daylight should make things clearer.
DeleteWith regard to the Ross's geese, am sorry to report that the numbers at St James's park have fallen from four to one. I think one of them moved to the Green Park (Heaven knows why), but of the other two no idea 😞
DeleteThanks. We have no idea at the moment where that one has come from. I can see no ring, but the night picture is dark and indistinct.
DeleteI suppose ET05.589 will now be telling among other gulls the tale of how humanoid creatures abducted it for the second time and made it submit to medical probes. As John McClane might have said, "How can the same thing happen to the same guy twice?".
ReplyDeleteTinúviel
Poor gull, I really do feel sorry for it. Imagine having to wear a two-foot length of plastic drainpipe around your own leg for the rest of your life.
DeleteI understand that ringing is very valueable, but having a foreign body attached to the bird must impair at least their chances for finding a mate, if not worse.
DeleteTinúviel
In the case of Coots it seems to greatly increase the risk of a broken leg in a fight. I have seen several Coots with those big plastic rings on a broken leg, and have mentioned that to Bill Haines.
DeleteHow are you recovering Ralph?
ReplyDeleteThank you for asking. Crawling back gradually to my normal state of mild decrepitude.
DeleteJust realised I'd missed this day's post. Glad you're improving regarding your health.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt a Ross's Goose. Was it still present the following day? They are lovely birds. I remember seeing a presumed wild bird a couple of times with the large number of Pink-footed Geese at Holkham many years ago. The species has only just recently been added to the British list due to the problem of frequent escapes, as it's popular as a collection bird. The US population has dramatically increased over the last couple of decades.
I went round the Serpentine for the first time today since the accident. Didn't see the Ross's Goose, which is not to say that it wasn't there.
DeleteThanks, Ralph.
ReplyDelete