There were Redwings in the trees both at the Speke obelisk ...
... and on the Parade Ground.
The twittering here was very loud, because they were sharing a tree with a flock of Goldfinches.
The Coal Tit at the Albert Memorial now emerges like clockwork every time I pass. Unlike the ones in the Flower Walk which flit around restlessly, it waits patiently on a twig and allows itself to be photographed, knowing that it will get a pine nut afterwards.
The Long-Tailed Tits near the bridge were busily looking for nesting materials but I couldn't get a clear shot, so here is a good one taken by Ahmet Amerikali at Russia Dock Woodland.
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Just the other side of the bridge, a Grey Wagtail hunted along the north shore of the Serpentine. I got a few seconds of video before the Sunday crowds frightened it away.
A Grey Heron was sitting in the upper nest on the island, the first time this year I've seen one sitting rather than standing on the edge. This may -- just may -- be a sign that the pair have finally got down to breeding.
Although most of the Cormorants have left, a few remain and there were two in their favourite tree on the island. They never completely exhaust the medium-sized fish in the lake, they just eat so many that the remainder need hard work to find.
The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull's mate was finishing a Feral Pigeon he had caught.
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Common Gulls are never common in the park but there is a fair number at the moment. Three stood in a row on the posts at Peter Pan.
The No Swimming sign nearest the Dell restaurant often has a Common Gull on it. I checked pictures from last year, and three out of four of them show the same bird -- another creature of habit like the Black-Headed Gull EZ73323 on the sign on the other side of the lake.
The Little Grebe in the Italian Garden was accompanied by the Tufted Ducks, but they were having a rest so it took the chance to preen in its favourite place in the clump of irises.
On the Long Water six Gadwall drakes were getting overexcited around a solitary female.
There are still a few Pochards. One rested under the willow near the bridge.
The Little Grebe's favourite ducks are, in this order, the Gadwalls and then the Tufties, right?
ReplyDeleteI have never heard a mixed flock of Redwings and Goldfinches chattering. It must be the loveliest sound.
Tinúviel
It really likes the Gadwalls, though they are on the main lake at the moment. It gets on OK with the other ducks, but there's no obvious bond.
DeleteLovely shots of the Redwing. For the first time yesterday this winter on my fairly local Sunday morning patch Fieldfares outnumbered the Redwing.
ReplyDeleteCommon Gulls are numerous here on various sports fields. Yesterday on the pitch at Yeading Meadows there were c75.
Love watching the Gadwall when they are displaying-they seem much more gentle than Mallard which can be very aggressive.
The sex ratio of the Gadwalls on the lake is quite good and there are a lot of pairs, which makes for quiet behaviour. It's unusual to see six drakes around one female. No wonder they got a bit overexcited.
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