A Wren came out on a bramble near the Henry Moore sculpture. Although they are very common they're so furtive that they can be quite hard to see.
A Robin stared at it imperiously from the other side of the path.
A Carrion Crow had been bathing in the Serpentine, and perched on a branch to preen and shake down its feathers.
I don't know what this Wood Pigeon at the edge of the Rose Garden thought it was doing. It kept picking up a stone and trying to bite it, without result.
The Little Owl at the Round Pond was staying in her hole again. We may not see her on the horse chestnut tree again, as it's losing its leaves fast.
A young Herring Gull on the edge of the Serpentine was idly throwing a chestnut about.
The Czech Black-Headed Gull was on its usual sign. Today it was in a bad mood and yakking irritably.
The gull who owns the landing stage was also cross ...
... as there was a Grey Heron at the other end of the platform, too large and fierce to chase away.
A heron perched on some invisible object to get a good view from the reed bed on the east side of the Long Water. They like a high viewpoint, and their reach and balance is so good that they can grab a fish when standing almost two feet above the water.
We seem to be at the annual Cormorant maximum, with birds on every available perch. A heron presided over the grim crew.
A young Great Crested Grebe preened under the Italian Garden fountains.
The other was chasing its father, still begging although they are starting to fish for themselves. It looks bigger than him, not uncommon in young birds as they retain a bit of juvenile fluffiness.
A Moorhen rummaged through dead leaves at the Lido.
The fox at the east end of the Serpentine seems to be spending most of its days dozing in the willow tree. You can only get a good view when it wakes up and looks around.
A final attempt to find the elusive Purple Jellydisc fungus failed. Going carefully all over the fallen tree trunk, I did find a fresh growth of Turkey Tail fungus, Trametes versicolor.
Shaggy Parasol mushrooms grow in several places near the Round Pond, but this isn't one. It's too brown, the stem is too thick, and it doesn't have a ring. As too often, I can't identify it.
It looks as if the Wood Pigeon is mistaking the small stone for a piece of food that it thinks it can eat.
ReplyDeleteI do hope the Little Owl does bravely come out of her hole more often, as we creep closer to darker and duller days. God I hate this time of year! So grey and miserable at times, roll on spring. Autumn isn’t like it used to be, I know that for sure.
I wonder if the Woodpigeon was inexperienced and trying to break up the stone for gizzard stones/grit?
ReplyDeleteAlso I am seeing the Czech gull video twice and no Carrion Crow. And as always a pleasure to tune in. Jim
It was certainly quite a young Wood Pigeon, as you can see from its incomplete white collar. Usually, though, birds soon discover that the grit rolled into the tarmac paths becomes detached with wear and can be picked up.
DeleteThanks for pointing out the video mixup. I was a bit distracted as the central heating had broken down and I was dealing with the repairman.
I wish it had been swimming circles around that sign. It'd be such a gull thing to do.
ReplyDeleteTinúviel
It does swim near that sign, but it's a tall sign and a small bird so it doesn't make a worthwhile picture. Some years ago I did get a grebe in front of a No Diving sign painted on the edge of the Lido jetty..
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