As the cheesy strains of 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland' boomed over the Rose Garden, the Robins were having to yell their little heads off to be heard.
A male Chaffinch was looking for insects and fallen seeds in the shrubbery by the bridge. This isn't the one who flies out immediately he sees me and expects pine nuts to the thrown into the air for him to catch, though I had fed that one earlier beside the Round Pond.
The Little Owl wasn't visible until after 3 pm, by which time the light was getting very dim.
The female Peregrine was by herself on the tower. I didn't see her mate all day.
A Carrion Crow stood on the small waterfall in the Dell. This place is used by Grey Wagtails as a fishing station, and Moorhens can pick small creatures out of the algae, but I don't think there's anything for a crow here. It was probably planning some horrible exploit.
A Pied Wagtail running up the shore of the Serpentine paused to stare curiously at the camera.
Black-Headed Gulls hovered in the wind, waiting to snatch bits of bread someone was throwing in the air.
The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull had already had lunch, as a carcass on the edge of the lake showed, and was standing in the shallows guarding his territory.
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He saw a young Herring Gull intruding and chased it off.
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A Grey Heron was busy on the recently reoccupied nest on the island. This nest was used last season, but much later when the leaves had come out. You can't get a good view now but it was impossible then.
The young heron from the Lido restaurant was on a handrail in the swimming area, looking aggrieved ...
... because it had been evicted from its begging station on the edge of the terrace by the arrival of the killer Mute Swan and his family.
A pair of Egyptian Geese were making a racket on a sawn-off tree by the Serpentine Gallery.
A Canada Goose slurped its way along like a larger version of a Shoveller, evidently getting the same mixture of floating algae and any small aquatic creatures that happen to be around.
One of the young Moorhens from the Italian Garden was foraging along the grass at the edge. It's still showing no sign of coming out of its teenage brown into adult colours.
The usual air ambulance flying from Buck Hill was joined by this one, which landed next to the Wasteland. I've often wondered whether people get heart attacks on the violent rides. The helicopter is a Leonardo AW169 of the Kent Surrey Sussex Ambulance Charity, registration G-LNAC.
The spotters on Flightradar24 report events so thoroughly that we know it had arrived from Redhill and was on it way to Rochester, and this was its second London visit of the day.
Hi Ralph, so NOT a quiet day for anyone..poor little robins. I expect they will be glad to see the back of the "winter wasteland" (as you will, I 'm sure!).. I remember the noise of the Egyptian geese, we don't get them up here !...I wish I could send you some pics of the barn owls !.regards,Stephen.
ReplyDeleteThe Robins will be able to browse the abandoned site of the Wasteland for the worms which somehow manage to survive being imprisoned under metal plates for three months. There seem to be insects for them too, as the ground is visited by Pied Wagtails.
DeleteSo the robins are making the most of a bad situation.good for them !..does the winter wasteland end in January?regards,Stephen.
DeleteYes, it does. I think the last day is New Year's Day. But then it takes weeks to dismantle and the enormous returfing operation begins, so there will be heavy lorries grinding around for months.
DeletePeople looking at Flightradar24 have been able to spot and then track flights that, were we living in a democracy, and were journalists able or capable of doing their job, would have landed our entire government in jail.
ReplyDeleteMost interesting. I don't suppose our own government is any cleaner in that regard.
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