It was a day of showers, some of them heavy, but there were intervals. The Robin in the Flower Walk who lives in the yew hedge behind the Albert Memorial was waiting for his daily ration of pine nuts.
A wintersweet bush at the Queen's Gate crossing is a favourite place for small birds. most of them Great Tits and all very hungry. The male Chaffinch won't come to my hand but will take pine nuts on the ground, or catch thrown nuts in midair but that's impossible to film.
A female Blackbird rummaged in the leaf litter near the Buck Hill shelter.
Julia has a Magpie friend that takes food from her hand.
The young Moorhen in the bush at the Vista has still not developed a red bill or yellow feet. It must have been hatched very late in last year's breeding season.
By the time I got round to the Serpentine island it was raining properly. The Grey Heron at the west end of the island, still alone, endured it stolidly.
There were more at the shore, but no sign of progress in either of the active nests.
At the Dell restaurant the rain became torrential and I had to take shelter. The heron which hangs around the outside tables had no such option, and was looking soggy and dejected.
The Feral Pigeons were sheltering under the overhanging roof, and Pigeon Eater had nothing to do but wait for them to come out again.
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Eventually the sky cleared and there were some sunny intervals. All the usual birds were out in the Rose Garden. A Blue Tit clung to a stem in a flower bed.
A Common Gull looked down from a solar panel at the Lido, which powers a measuring instrument on the jetty.
A scene in the shrubbery at the edge of the Diana fountain enclosure: Grey Herons and Carrion Crows are inveterate enemies. Crows enjoy sneaking up behind them and tweaking their tail.
A Redwing ...
... and several Jays appeared near the Italian Garden.
A late visit to the Round Pond didn't reveal a Little Owl. A Jackdaw perched on the owls' dead tree.
Two Shoveller drakes fed at the edge of the pond.
As I went home, late sunlight lit the Albert Memorial. It's impossible not to photograph this gloriously silly structure from time to time.
That looked personal, for that crow.
ReplyDeleteI never thought I'd see a Great Tit blizzard. And here it is!
Tinúviel
Crows also stalk dogs with fluffy tails. I think it's just a favourite crow game, not personal.
DeleteThe Great Tit scene is getting like a small-scale remake of Sharknado. But you can't say no to these charming creatures.
This is what makes Crows so intelligent I find, with their mischievous ways. They incorporate playful annoyance for their own entertainment. Somewhat with some humans..
ReplyDeleteSean