The Grey Wagtail was hunting along the edge of the Lido, so I took some pictures of it from a discreet distance so as not to disturb it.
Then I went on my way, which took me past it and would normally have caused it to fly away. But it didn't, so I was able to film it from very close indeed.
Both Robins in the Flower Walk came to my hand within a few seconds of each other. This is the presumed mate of the familiar tatty Robin, which only became confident a few days ago.
This very pleasing picture by Mark Williams was taken a while ago, at the start of the nesting season when a male Robin was feeding his mate to show that he would look after her when she was sitting. Of course they wouldn't behave like that at any other time of year.
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A Robin in the bushes at the southwest corner of the bridge was wary but collected a pine nut thrown on the ground.
The stairs from here up to the bridge were blocked by a Grey Heron which wouldn't let me past, so I had to go round the edge of the shrubbery.
There were still a few House Martins hunting over the Round Pond.
It was still windy and the Little Owl had retired to the back of her hole.
The Little Grebes were still on the pond.
A Great Crested Grebe chick on the Long Water was being fed by its father, so I photographed it ...
... and then started filming. Within two minutes of the first picture he gave it three more. Chicks never seem to be full.
On the Serpentine there was a brief sight of all three chicks: the survivor of the two from the nest at the bridge, in the background here with a parent, and the two that flew in recently.
The odd-coloured Lesser Black-Backed Gull with dark eyes has dredged up some mysterious spiky object that I can't identify. It wasn't edible and the gull soon dropped it.
Pigeon Eater was in the water nearby but made no effort to chase the gull off his territory. It's very big for a Lesser Black-Back, even larger than him.
A female Tufted Duck rested on the edge.
The Long Water is covered with Pochards, almost all of them Common. Here are some near the bridge.
There are a few Red-Crested Pochards, all drakes, and they are now getting their breeding plumage again.
One Shoveller drake is well on the way to his winter smartness.
Autumn crocuses are coming out at the bridge.
I should imagine his advancing years have made Pigeon Eater as prudent as he is skilled. Although it still astounds me that any other gull would make him back down.
ReplyDeleteLovely footage of the Grey Wagtail. Gorgeous little bird.
Tinúviel
The two discoloured Lesser Black-Backs, one with pale eyes (almost no yellow), the other with dark eyes, now seem to be around this area often than not. They are probably brothers, and both are huge. There is no interference with Pigeon Eater's hunting rights as neither of them hunts pigeons. Pigeon Eater continues to clear out any Herring Gulls that intrude. These too are generally larger than him, as Herring Gulls are, but not nearly as fierce.
DeleteI wonder what causes some gulls to be significantly larger than the median. If those two are brothers, then it's probably inherited.
DeleteTinúviel
As with humans, no doubt, a combination of heredity and early diet. The importance of diet is underestimated: I now often see Japanese and Chinese men who are taller than me at 1m 90.
DeleteDelightful shots of the Grey Wagtail & the loafing female Tufted Duck.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to see the disparity (quite a common feature) in numbers of the Pochard- I can see 13 drakes compared to just 2 females.
I suspect the left-hand Shoveler is a first-winter male.
Some years ago, when people started worrying about the decline of Common Pochards, there was a nationwide census of their numbers and their very skewed sex ratio. This came out as 8:1, not really explainable merely by predation of nesting females.
DeleteI know on the numerous visits to Welney WWT, the warden always explain that most of the females head further south into Spain & France, so largely winter separately from the males. Certainly there are often a few hundred Pochard in winter, mostly males.
ReplyDeleteIn London I generally don't notice such a disparate sex ratio, though you clearly have in the park.
Thank you. At least the females are somewhere, which is reassuring.
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