There were Redwings both on the north side of the Flower Walk and in their usual place on the Parade Ground. They are quite small and can't always manage to get a worm out of hard ground.
Fieldfares are occasional visitors to the Parade Ground but I haven't seen one here this winter or last. This one was photographed at Rainham Marshes by Joan Chatterley.
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A Long-Tailed Tit checked leaf buds for lurking insects in the Rose Garden.
The tatty Blue Tit turned up in the Flower Walk as usual. Her disordered feathers don't seem to hamper her at all, and she has been on the scene for some time.
The Robin at the Henry Moore sculpture has also become a regular customer.
Two visitors, Lauren and Tiffany, rescued a Feral Pigeon from some thread that had got tangled around their feet. They did an expert job. None of the park regulars seems to know them. Thanks to Duncan Campbell for this picture.
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Another good picture from Duncan: the aggressive Black-Headed Gull on the landing stage yelling defiance at any other bird that might dare to perch there.
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There was a pair of Grey Herons again in one of nests at the west end of the island. Despite their continued presence I still don't think they're serious about nesting yet, any more than the other pair on the high nest in the middle.
By chance four of the regular inhabitants of the Dell appeared in the same picture: the local heron and one each of the pairs of Moorhens, Mallards and Egyptian Geese.
The heron often walks on to the Dell waterfall in search of fish. There seems to be a good population of carp in the slow-moving Dell stream, though we only see the larger ones which have been there for years.
The traditional heron lookout post on top of the Henry Moore sculpture.
There seem to the only three Great Crested Grebes on the lake at present. A pair were backlit by the low sun as they went under the bridge.
The Little Grebe in the Italian Garden was diving by itself when I passed.
One of the dominant Mute Swans was in the same pool feeding under the fountain. Disturbance in the water seems to be the important thing in filtering edible creatures out of it.
The aggressive swan on the Serpentine had a faceoff with a rival, ignoring the smaller birds milling around them.
A pair of Egyptian Geese asserted their territorial rights on the sawn-off poplar at Peter Pan.
Well done, Lauren and Tiffany. Always really upsets me to see those bound feet, and not knowing what to do.
ReplyDeleteThe park bird people are doing through the Tiffanys and Laurens that they know to see if they have any acquaintance with these admirable people. I carry a pair of fine nail scissors and a multi-tool with a sharp blade in case of emergency. Another gadget on the multi-tool is a plier with wire cutters which has already rescued a stuck Coot chick.
DeleteCatching the bird in the first place might be a problem.
DeleteYou might be able to bribe it on to your hand.
DeleteGlad to see the tatty Blue Tit is still hanging on. I guess she is out of the woods for this winter.
ReplyDeleteBlackbirds must be so much stronger than Redwings - they pull the fattest worms like nothing.
Tinúviel
I don't think that Blue Tit is suffering any inconvenience beyond a Bad Hair Day. She must have bred last summer as her head was very abraded, though I couldn't definitely attribute any of the young birds to her.
DeleteBlackbirds are much bigger than Redwings and much stronger. But I think that Redwings usually get their worm. That video was shot in a patch of hard compacted soil which had been under some monstrous engine of the Wasteland, not a natural setting at all.
Fieldfares do seem scarcer this winter. I did have a few feeding on some short turf on my local Sunday patch at the weekend.
ReplyDeleteGood citizens helping those poor pigeons.
Always good to get the latest on the Little Grebe soap!
It's surprising how many pigeons get tangled in what looks like ordinary sewing thread. I don't see where it comes from.
DeleteI did read something a couple of years back about Feral Pigeons losing toes due to human hair getting caught up in their feet- even though sounds somewhat incredulous.
ReplyDeleteLast week we had to rescue a Starling in our garden that had been trapped on a rose with long strands of dead grass wrapped around its legs & the bush. A good job we were around as I held the bird while my other half cut the grass away.
Yes, Alberto rescued a pigeon here with hair round its feet.
DeleteWell done with the Starling.