A Goldcrest was whizzing about in a yew tree next to the bridge. This tree is a permanent habitat for successive generations of Goldcrests, and they nest here every year.
The holly berries are ripe, to the delight of a Wood Pigeon which was gorging on them enthusiastically.
The Little Owl at the Round Pond was in the same tree as usual, but had moved to a branch where you could only see her from the side.
The female Peregrine was on the tower, fluffed up as she often is. I had supposed that this was what falconers call 'rousing', but see the comments below for a proper explanation of her behaviour.
Tom got a much better picture of a Peregrine hunting over Rainham Marshes. More of his pictures later.
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The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull had dined, and was lying on the roof of the Dell restaurant digesting yet another heavy meal.
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His mate had had her share, and was on the shore yawning.
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There was almost nothing left for the second-year gull which I speculated might be their offspring from last year.
A Grey Heron was fishing beside one of the small boathouses. This is a good spot: the brick walls are supported on concrete beams which extend down only just below water level, so there is a gap underneath. If a fish carelessly emerges from the inside of the boathouse it gets grabbed.
A pair of Egyptian Geese stood on top of the Little Owls' nest tree. Their racket must be trying for the owls when they are at home, for the tree is completely hollow and open at the top so that their raucous cries echo inside.
A female Gadwall was pulling up algae in the shallow water at the edge of the Lido.
There are three Gadwalls in the park at the moment. A drake was at Peter Pan ...
... and another was in the Italian Garden, where it has been for some time.
I don't think any of the three knows about the others' presence. They are sociable birds and don't stay alone by choice.
The patch of Baby Sage in the Rose Garden attracted just one Buff-Tailed Bumblebee. The weather is still mild, but I didn't see a Honeybee anywhere.
This is the red oak at the Vista where I have photographed vatrous birds. Conehead 54 thought it was a Pin Oak but couldn't be sure from pictures where the leaves were out of focus, so here's a close-up shot. PlantNet is pretty sure that it's a Pin Oak.
Now for some more pictures from Tom to brighten up a lacklustre day. A wonderful shot of a Short-Eared Owl at Wallasea near Rochford. If this were an aircraft in a steep banking turn the pilot would be tilted too, resisting the centrifugal force. But birds do things differently and keep their head horizontal.
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And two fine pictures from the Lea Valley Park: a Bittern ...
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... and a Water Rail.
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Maybe the female peregrine was pleased to see YOU Ralph !. :-). Absolutely SUPERB photos from Tom....best bittern picture I have ever seen..regards,Stephen..
ReplyDeleteI know the Peregrines always notice me with their superb vision, but they probably regard me as a nuisance. Perhaps that's what the gesture means.
DeleteYes, Tom's pictures are something special.
Apologies for the pedantry, but a raptor in a fluffed-up posture (normally resting comfortably and unlikely to do anything interesting for some time, especially when showing a visible crop, ie. well fed) is distinct from a bird that "rouses" - which refers to the action of shaking out its feathers, often a precusor to action.
DeleteThis link shows a (captive) peregrine rousing: https://www.facebook.com/intobirdsofficial/videos/one-peregrine-falcon-rouse-coming-right-at-you-birds-rouse-by-raising-their-feat/379981202917665/
Thank you very much for this clarification, which I certainly don't regard as pedantry. It's important to get things right, especially as the purpose of this blog is to explore bird behaviour.
DeleteLovely pictures today! All the birds from Tom are superb and I have yet to photograph all of them
ReplyDeleteTheodore
Also, wonderful news about the Goldcrests. I cannot find them and now I feel like I have been looking at the wrong Yew Tree this whole time.
DeleteTheodore
It's at the SW corner of the bridge, next to the path and the staircase. But they range around into the adjacent trees, particularly another yew next to the bridge.
DeleteThank you all
ReplyDeleteSuperb shots both of you. Jim
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI was going to say the Peregrine was glad to see you, but Stephen beat me to it! So maybe she was seeing her mate? To us he'd be a tiny little pinprick in the sky, but doubtless she can see even the colours of his feathers.
ReplyDeleteShort-eared Owls are magical creatures. What a wonderful picture.
Tinúviel
Ralph's photo shows her (the female peregrine) putting out her "side skirts" very well. When a peregrine does that, especially when it has one foot tucked up snugly into its feathers, it's at its most relaxed and comfortable. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a lost cause - an intruder may happen by, or the bird may spot unwary quarry. But you might need to settle in for quite a while...
DeleteI'm very glad and grateful to find out what the Peregrine is doing. I've also seen what she does -- in fact what both of them do -- when they see their mate arriving. They call.
DeleteYes look good for Pin Oak here from these photos Ralph. Pleased your app is in agreement.
ReplyDeleteLove the shot of the Goldcrest- we watched one yesterday morning down the road as it actively flitted about.
PlantNet, though not infallible, is pretty good. When I can't get near enough to the plant for a good identification I take a picture with the long lens and use PN on the image on the computer screen. Google Lens is also helpful and quite good on insects as well.
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