A Robin sang and flitted around in the trees near the statue of Peter Pan.
Another in a winter flowering cherry in the Rose Garden shrubbery was no longer having to shout to be heard over the din of the Winter Wasteland, but it wasn't in the mood for full song and only uttered a few quiet phrases.
As well as the familiar Robins and Blackbirds in the shrubbery there is also a pair of Chaffinches. This is the female.
Wood Pigeons are constant visitors to feed on mahonia flowers and the plants in the herbaceous borders.
A Blue Tit perched on a twig in the late afternoon light.
It doesn't take much to start Song Thrushes singing in winter: a mild day, a few sunny intervals, a bit of rain to make it easier to dig up worms. There were three singing around the Long Water. This is the only one I managed to see, though the view was distant and obstructed.
These Herring Gulls calling together on the Lido jetty are male -- the bigger one -- and female, but they aren't mates. One pecked the other one away.
The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull was eyeing a couple of potential victims, but the birds sensibly kept their distance.
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The gull continues to hunt near the Dell restaurant although the pigeons are wary of him and stay out of reach. Perhaps he is catching new arrivals that haven't learnt about him. Catching at least one pigeon a day he is making quite a dent in the population, so more pigeons must be constantly coming in to replace losses.
Yesterday's strong wind had died down to a gentle breeze, but there was enough to keep Black-Headed Gulls hovering motionless over someone feeding the swans, hoping to swoop down and grab a bit.
The wind had brought down another Lombardy poplar on the edge of the Long Water, which was already occupied by gulls.
The gull on the landing stage glared resentfully at a young Grey Heron which had invaded his territory.
Later, the same heron -- which is the one that used to beg at the Lido restaurant -- was fishing on the edge of the Serpentine. Finding nothing east of the Lido ...
... it took off ...
... and flew to the reed bed under the Diana fountain.
As I arrived it caught a small perch between the cut reeds. After eating it, it took a sip of water to help the spiny fish down.
The reeds are also full of insects, which a Magpie was searching for.
A Gadwall drake in the Italian Garden looked dapper in a sunny spell.
A camellia has recklessly come into flower in the Rose Garden.
It's interesting that the pigeon killer makes no dent on the pigeon population. Given some days he takes more than one bird, he must be taking c400 a year.
ReplyDeleteFeral Pigeons are prolific breeders- their numbers restricted only by food supply & nesting sites, so predation has hardly any real impact on the overall number.
Good to see your Chaffinches. They really have crashed here. Haven't seen one locally for months. I saw my first for the year yesterday- a solitary male by the feeders at the London Wetland Centre. Previous winters have given us wintering flocks from the continent but not this season.
Normally Goldfinch would be the finch I'd expect to see in the New Year. Haven't seen one yet- numbers are well down, but usually the commonest finch locally.
My first finch this year was an amazing flock of c100 at Ruislip on New Year's Day & a single female Greenfinch in the garden on my return.
Yesterday also saw a small flock of c15 Siskin at LWC. I hope the Goldfinch aren't heading the way of the local Greenfinches & Chaffinches. This compounded by the paucity of Blackbirds too.
There are also the resident pair of Sparrowhawks, which seem to take a pigeon as much as one every day, to judge by the sad circles of grey feathers that are often seen in various places. The Peregrines' movements remain mysterious, but they must take a good few here -- I often see them eating on the barracks, but they also use the Metropole Hilton hotel whose tower is directly over the pavement, so sometimes there is a rain of inedible pigeon parts on the heads of passers by.
DeleteIt's curious that in the park we have plenty of Chaffinches and Greenfinches but not much else. Goldfinches abound in the surrounding streets but only come in occasionally -- I have no idea why. I have seen just two Bramblings and one Siskin the whole time I have been watching the birds in the park.
I've noticed that the thrushes have started singing. I also heard woodpeckers drumming yesterday - roll on spring
ReplyDeleteThrushes never stop: at any time a bit of sunshine will get them going. But it's encouraging to hear a woodpecker drumming.
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