It was a thoroughly unpleasant day of rain and wind. During one of the less severe spells a Blue Tit came out in the wintersweet bush at Mount Gate ...
... and one of the Robin pair perched on a twig with raindrops on its head.
The Rose Garden was as wet as it could be -- parts of it actually get flooded after heavy rain -- and the male Chaffinch ...
... and his mate waited in a saturated flower bed for me to throw them some pine nuts.
All the other birds were clamouring too. But I confess that I shot today's videos a few days ago as it was just too wet to use the small camera, which isn't weatherproof. As usual the applicants were mostly Great Tits, but you can also see a Blue Tit, a Coal Tit and a Robin.
There are several pairs of Robins. Here is one of them singing.
A handsome Feral Pigeon was strutting about at the Triangle. The useful colour guide names this pattern Orojo, which looks to be a Spanish portmanteau word for 'gold-red'.
There's only one Grey Wagtail in the park at the moment, which was hatched here last year. Probably its parents, and maybe others, will return in the spring. You mostly see it flying along the edge of the lake, but here it is on the shore at the Lido.
Pigeon Eater took advantage of damp feathers to have a preen. He is now almost completely into his full summer plumage.
Three Mute Swans had the same idea.
A Tufted drake displayed to a group of females by standing tall, which is their 'Look at me' display.
Three Mallards rested in their favourite place on a branch of the fallen willow at the bridge.
Joan Chatterley found plenty of Mandarins in Battersea Park yesterday. It seems strange that there are so many there while there are none here and just one seen in Regent's Park yesterday.
The young Grey Heron seen around the Long Water is probably always the same one. Today it was fishing in a reed bed south of the Vista.
The heron in the nest at the west end of the island was still on its lonely vigil, looking damp and depressed.
There was no visible progress in the two active nests, but the heron in the east nest was still doggedly sitting on what looks more and more like a clutch of infertile eggs.
The heron at the Dell restaurant gazed wistfully through the window at people eating inside. There was no one at an outside table to slip it a bit of sandwich.
The new pair of Moorhens in the Dell were happily looking for worms together on the soaking lawn.
I can almost feel the cold and the wetness through the screen. It must have been a miserable day. Doesn't deter the Moorhens though.
ReplyDeleteThe detail of the small water drops on the Robin's head is amazing. Your eye is incredible.
Tinúviel
It's remarkable what a greasy little creature that Robin is, with raindrops not wetting it at all.
DeleteMandarin ducks are more common in the suburbs now I have noticed them quite a lot in Keston Common
ReplyDeleteThere are lots in Richmond Park too, in the Isabella Plantation.
Delete