A Long-Tailed Tit collecting midges for its nestlings paused in the variegated holly tree near the Vista.
This tree is very popular with songbirds and must be unusually full of insects. It's a rather sickly tree and dead in places, which may explain that (or it may not). There was also a Coal Tit ...
... and a Blackbird.
The male Blackbird from the Dell was out on the east lawn collecting worms for his young. He also had some midges. I wonder how they catch them -- they're not built for grabbing insects in midair like a tit.
The Coal Tit at Mount Gate appeared as usual ...
... and so did the pair of Robins.
The Dunnock here is getting quite bold, lured by pine nuts thrown on the ground for it.
A Wren posed grandly on a stump in the shrubbery behind the Big Bird statue.
A male Blackcap stared out of a tree in the leaf yard.
Ahmet Amerikali reports that the Goldcrests in the yew by the bridge have recovered from their nest being robbed and are bustling about in the tree as usual. He sent this picture.
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The Coots in the southwest pool in the Italian Garden seem to have lost two chicks and are down to seven. Five of them were back at the nest sheltering from the chilly wind.
The five Greylag goslings were grazing under the trees on the edge of the Serpentine. Their greenish-grey colour is a good camouflage.
Another pair have just one. I could only photograph their mother because the gander was pecking my shins trying to chase me away. I apologised and backed off.
There are still seven Egyptian goslings at the boathouse, in spite of their tendency to wander off on to the open water where any passing gull can make a snack of them.
The older single gosling of the pair at the Lido was still in good shape.
The Mute Swan nesting beside the Lido restaurant terrace has been given some grass cuttings to make her nest more comfortable. She was passing the time of her long weary incubation -- typically 36 days -- by rearranging them.
The swan at the boathouse likes to ornament her nest with miscellaneous rubbish.
It was too cold to be a good day for insects, but a hardy Buff-Tailed Bumblebee was out on the Mexican orange in the Rose Garden.
Good to see the swans nesting again. At St James's, we have a strange situation: a mute swan sitting on her nest on the island at the west end of the lake, with the majority of the pelicans sitting near her day after day - wonder if they are feeling broody. :)
ReplyDeleteI hope they aren't waiting to eat the cygnets.
DeleteWell, to date, there has only been the (in)famous pigeon-eating incident and one instance of a pelican scooping up a duckling: am pleased to report that the mother duck came in spitting fire - forced the pelican to drop the duckling and flee, along with a second pelican.
DeleteThe fury of mothers is wonderful to behold.
DeletePerhaps the Blackbird waits patiently and silently for the midges to past by their nose and grab one…. Who knows.
ReplyDeleteI could not image them having the aerobatic skills to catch one in a race in midair! That would be remarkable for a Blackbird! And a super Blackbird of that!
Sean
They just aren’t agile enough
DeleteSean
Another blackbird mystery. Not only do I wonder how they manage to detect earthworms (could they really hear them? smell them?), now how can they grab at tiny midges. We know so little about birds, when all is said and done.
ReplyDeleteTinúviel
I'm equally baffled by their abilities.
Delete