For some time it's been uncertain whether the Grey Herons' nest on the island was a going concern. But from the behaviour of the two birds today it seems pretty certain that it is. The lower of the two nests has the chicks in it. They're still too small to make a noise audible from the shore.
The widowed heron with the very red bill, who has no part in the proceedings, was asleep in last year's nest. Perhaps the example of the successful pair will push him into finding a new mate.
Another heron posed elegantly on the fallen poplar next to Peter Pan, a favourite perch for all kinds of birds.
It was the turn of the other Common Gull, the one with yellow feet, to stand on the No Swimming sign.
The Black-Headed Gull on the landing stage can bully many kinds of birds off his territory -- I've even seen him having a go at geese -- but like all Black-Headed Gulls he's scared of Moorhens. It was an uneasy confrontation.
The Moorhen in the dead irises in the Italian Garden has decided that this is a good resting place, and was dozing intermittently.
The male Great Crested Grebe of the pair from the west end of the island has no rivals at the east end now. It's a better fishing place and has a better nest site in a bush on the edge of the island, so he seems to have settled in.
The killer Mute Swan, who had been leaving the swans at the east end of the Serpentine in peace, decided to persecute them. He was busking around in full sail near the outflow.
A pair of Egyptian Geese had landed on the raft in the Long Water.
If the Egyptian at the Henry Moore sculpture had been with his mate, this would have caused a loud protest. But she's nesting in a tree, and he can't make a racket on his own. He was standing under the sculpture looking rather depressed.
A few more Redwings have arrived on the Parade Ground. It hasn't been a good year for Redwings generally, but with luck a reasonable flock will gather on this ideal feeding place with lots of worms in the bare ground.
It's certainly popular with gulls. The whole area was dotted with Black-Headed Gulls, of which there are hundreds in the park.
The Peregrines were together on the barracks tower.
A couple of Feral Pigeons were enjoying a bathe in the Serpentine.
A Goldcrest sang in a yew near Peter Pan.
This Coal Tit at the bridge is almost coming to my hand. A bit of encouragement will probably get it to fly down.
Well, happy to see we're going to see pretty soon those endearing mixtures of dinosaurs and punks that are Heron chicks!
ReplyDeleteI wonder what is it about Moorhens that Black-Headed Gulls fear. They're on the cheeky side, but not really dangerous, at least for gulls standards.
It is a mystery. Moorhens are a bit heavier than Black-Headed Gulls but not particularly aggressive, unlike Coots which the gulls seem to take in their stride. But bird species do seem to have private pointless feuds, like Carrion Crows with Grey Herons although they are not in direct competition for anything.
DeleteHave noticed that behaviour myself from time to time. Would add robin v dunnock to the list, though the hostility is all one-way. ;)
DeleteI feel a humble brag coming on... witnessed a seal chase off a great northern diver yesterday (where else but Southend pier?) - not sure if there was competition over fish or whether the seal viewed the GND as a potential snack?
DeleteMark -- the familiar Robin in the Flower Walk really has it in for the Great Tits and attacks them continuously, even when they're only on the fringes of its territory. Not sure whether this is just aggressive territoriality or a species war.
DeleteWembley -- there seems to have been a lot of diver activity at Southend on that Saturday. That's when Vinny saw a White-Billed Diver and a GND, as you will have seen from Sunday's post which had his pictures.
DeleteAristotle's History of Animals devotes half a book at least to pointless bird feuds. It was always taken as meaningless bits of folklore, but many of those feuds we see in the park.
DeleteAristotle lived in a world where human war was considered natural, and rightly saw that animals too live in constant conflict. We cherish an illusion called Peace, contrary to all human history.
Delete(That's Tinúviel, BTW, just in case the Spanish-style syntax didn't give me away!)
ReplyDeleteGreat photo of a goldcrest and good news about the heron chicks.
ReplyDeleteHerons still fussing about the nest on Sunday. Fingers crossed.
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