Saturday, 29 April 2023

Song Thrushes singing at each other

A Song Thrush near the Speke obelisk responded to another singing in the distance. It wasn't in full song, just making its presence felt.


A Whitethroat looked down from a tree near the leaf yard.


This is one of a pair of Dunnocks at the northwest corner of the bridge.


There was a Wren in the next bush.


A Starling at the Lido restaurant stole a chip.


A sunny Saturday had brought crowds into the park and the shy Little Owls at the Round Pond had retreated into their hole. A Jackdaw perched on top of their nest tree watching a couple of flies.


A Carrion Crow took a drink from the Huntress fountain. As usual the fountain is broken and the water in it is stagnant, but birds seem to like their water with a bit of flavour.


The two young Grey Herons from the island have been exploring and have discovered the gravel strip in the Round Pond. I don't think it's much of a place for fishing, as the heap of stones under the gravel slopes gradually and there's nowhere for a fish to lurk.


The third young heron, not hatched here but flown in from another park, was sunbathing on the gravel in the Long Water.


The two chicks on the Serpentine island could be seen from across the lake.


A pair of Egyptian Geese on the Round Pond have just hatched ten goslings.


The broods of eight and three on the Serpentine haven't suffered any further losses.


Everything is going well on the Mute Swan nests. This is the dominant pair on the Long Water relaxing on their island.


The Black Swan was cruising near the Dell restaurant.


The Mandarin pair were near the bridge.


There is usually a Dark-Edged Bee Fly in a particular place in the borders in the Rose Garden. I may have been photographing the same one over and over.


A Buff-Tailed Bumblebee gathered pollen on a yellow wallflower, their favourite flower at the moment.

8 comments:

  1. I wonder what are the reasons why Bumblebees will choose a flower species over another. I had a sudden vision of myself, microphone in hand, asking an obliging Bumbleebee: "Mr Bumblebee, for the readers of Bumblebee Monthly, may I ask how and why did you choose a yellow wallflower?".
    Tinúviel

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    1. I think I could explain it for Honeybees, with their waggle dance reporting system: a bee finds a good patch of a certain flower, gives its quality, distance and direction to the hive, so off the other workers go. But I don't think bumblebees have anything like that. Maybe they're just thinking, This flower was good, I'll try more like that. Also, perhaps, certain flowers that come out at certain times have a particularly alluring scent.

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  2. I sometimes think they should be called "loud and repetitive" thrushes... Great to see the mandarins - and it's a generally beautiful time of year

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    1. I really like Song Thrush song. Silly and happy.

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    2. "Silly and happy" is my definition of perfection.
      Tinúviel

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  3. Do you think there are still many Tawny Owls about? You have not written about one recently so I was wondering if the 2010 ones might still be in the park.

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    1. Of course I'd say if I'd seen a Tawny Owl. There are certainly some in the park but they're staying out of sight.

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  4. I see.
    Thank you!

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