A Green Woodpecker probed the lawn in the Rose Garden, looking for insects and larvae. It was having to work hard as the ground was still frozen after last night's frost.
The Round Pond is largely iced over, and a Herring Gull was picking up oatmeal which someone had kindly put on the ice. Thank goodness no one is paying any heed to those stupid notices all over the park about not feeding the birds. At these times they really need extra food, especially the smaller birds.
The Long Water is also mostly frozen. The Mute Swan family were in a clear patch at the edge. They would be well advised to move on to the Serpentine, which never freezes completely, as there will be at least two more nights of hard frost.
I had expected that all the Great Crested Grebes would leave, as they are wary of being iced in on account of their need for 50 yards of clear water to take off. The pair on the Long Water have left, probably going up the river. But there were still three on the Serpentine, two of them insouciantly displaying on the edge of the ice.
In spite of the morning sunshine it was a surprise to find the female Little Owl at the Round Pond out on a horse chestnut tree.
The pair of Chaffinches followed me from the Flower Walk to the pond, requesting pine nuts all the way.
The small birds in the Rose Garden were also very hungry. A Blue Tit looked down from a tree ...
... and a Coal Tit perched on a dead plant in the border.
At Mount Gate a Great Tit looked particularly fine in wintersweet flowers ...
... and so did a Robin in a dogwood bush. (I really haven't enhanced the colours in that picture, it's just as it came from the camera.)
A Wren foraged under a tree near the Henry Moore sculpture.
The Grey Herons on the island weren't doing anything interesting, but anyway here is a picture of the pair on the middle nest.
A Common Gull and a Black-Headed Gull stood side by side on a sign.
There are two of these dark Mallard drakes on the Serpentine, presumably brothers. The pattern, which includes a broader white neck ring, is one of the commoner variations of Mallard colour, which can range from completely black to completely white.
Ahmet Amerikali was on Hampstead Heath yesterday, where he found a male Dartford Warbler ...
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... and got a splendid shot of a female Kestrel.
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Hello Ralph,
ReplyDeleteyes they were rather desperate tonight as I was leaving they already had frosty backs by late afternoon. I hope people will come to feed at the weekend. The problem isn't the parks actually, they don't police the notices, it's the self appointed police team of park goers who feel the need to bully people and remind them of the signs. So they may put the weaker humans off. Some scream at you as well. They are very sad, miserable looking people. There isn't an ounce of kindness in them, their faces are all you need to know.
Jenna
There will always be officious busybodies. At least it gives one a chance to exercise one's vocabulary.
DeleteHow can anyone not directly paid to do so or rotten to their core shout at people who will feed the birds to stop them from starving in the cold. Is the world run mad?
DeleteThank God for the birds' guardian angels (yes, I mean you two, plus all the nameless ones who also do the Lord's work in caring for His creatures).
Tinúviel
The park is now full of mendacious notices saying that feeding the birds is bad for them. Meddling idiots read them and are prompted to interfere. We've seen this brainless behaviour often enough in all walks of life, especially in recent years.
DeleteI’ve experienced this nonsense of moronic people having to feel like they were the law and above and knew what they were talking about, trying to aggressively advise you on wearing a mask out in public, because they feel they know what’s best by being manipulated by a government media. You just have to look at them in a comical bewildered stare. The government are very very clever with all this and use a tactic of driving a wedge between us all, to purposely divide us as the majority and therefore makes the lies look true. They really do know how the human brain works and the easiest ways of controlling/manipulating it. People just can’t think for themselves these days.
DeleteSean
Spot on. The parks just put up the notices and don't care any further whether people will feed or not, they rely on members of public to attack one another. Sadly the weaker humans will be put off and may not come back.
DeleteWeekends are great and evenings too, you can feed and nobody says anything as it's full of more chilled people. Mornings during the week are the worst. You are def going to be accosted and attacked. That's the time when the regular guys come to feed the song birds. I am glad to keep seeing them and them not being put off by morons.
To be fair, bread is actually bad for the wildfowl, and I would suggest that people get duck/swan food instead. Re scattered seed - it does attract rats if it is not all eaten. Hand feeding your jay isn't a problem, but hand feeding squirrels and parakeets is. Difficult to adjudicate on this. I'd be much happier if we all shouted at dog owners who let their pets off the lead!!
ReplyDeleteThe problem is they don't want you to feed anything. Not even the seeds and pellets. It's very rare for anytbing to be left behind in the winter. They get rather desperate.
ReplyDelete