It was a day of sunshine and heavy showers. As Duncan Campbell took this picture from the bridge of heavy clouds massing over the Long Water ...
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... I was hurrying for the shelter of the loggia in the Italian Garden and got there just in time to avoid being soaked. Others weren't so lucky.
In a sunny interval there was a good collection of small birds near the Speke obelisk. I hear a Nuthatch singing in a tree and went over to try to find it, which I didn't. But instead I got a picture of a Treecreeper happily upside down under a branch, catching a midge.
A Goldfinch flitted about, sang, and ate a bud. There was only one Goldfinch here -- they can sing and eat at the same time.
A Song Thrush perched in a tree ...
... and was promptly chased out by a Blackbird.
When it settled in the next tree ...
... I was ready for it, and got a very brief clip of it being knocked off again.
A Robin watched the proceedings from a safe distance ...
... and a Jackdaw arrived to ask for a peanut.
Beside the Long Water there was another sighting of the Wren I photographed two days ago, as furious as ever.
A Blue Tit perched in the yellow jasmine bush at Mount Gate.
Glad to say that both the young Grey Herons were back in their nest. So they can fly well enough now, coming down to explore and practise fishing, and returning to the nest to be fed by their parents.
One parent was having a dispute with the pair in the nest at the west end of the island.
The heron with the red bill guarded the nest.
You remember the bright idea the park management had of putting a gravel strip in the Round Pond to give the waterfowl a refuge from dogs?
Here we go, Ralph.... last photo in your blog... Jenna
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely expected. Still haven't seen any birds except gulls on the strip.
DeleteI wouldn't even recommend the birds to go on it after seeing your photo. No different to being on the shore. They are a disgrace, the park management. Jenna
ReplyDeleteReally need a crackdown on off lead dogs, large fines and publicity. Perhaps if someone kills a dog and gets in the papers for cruelty to animals people might realise the harm they are doing and persuade the authorities to act! We'll crowd fund their defence!!
ReplyDeleteWho's going to enforce that? The police who drive around in cars not looking out of the window?
DeleteMaybe the lovely policeman who says there is swine flu on the lake
Deleteand stops people from feeding around the RP. Maybe he could be so kind and start guarding that piece of gravel from now on. Might be more worthwhile....Jenna
There probably is swine flu on the lake when he's there.
DeleteIt took them maybe less than a week to build this pathetic looking piece of gravel. Just quoting Jon, who says he the park received complaints about it but only from 'aesthetic point of view'...Just goes to show how little they care about the birds too ( same as the park management ) and it is probably the dog owners who 'complained'. At least their dogs have somewhere to frolick on now. Let's hope the swans won't fall asleep on it....
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen a swan or goose on it yet. They are more intelligent than the park management.
DeleteSigh. Right on cue.
ReplyDeleteAt least the good news is that the young Heron is able to fly up to the nest at will.
I wonder how Wrens can cope with being furious all the time. It must be hard on their blood pressure.
Tinúviel
I was very surprised by that young heron. I never saw it climbing about and it seldom flapped its wings to exercise them, both of these common behaviour for young herons. And then suddenly there it is flying like a pro.
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