Two Blue Tits in the Rose Garden were taking their time eating pine nuts I gave them.
Another perched on a witch hazel bush beginning to blossom.
A Coal Tit waited in the hedge for its turn.
A Buff-Tailed Bumblebee landed on a dead leaf in the border. It seemed sluggish but it isn't warm yet, and it flew away briskly when I tried to pick it up and put it on a flower.
The Song Thrush pair that were evicted by the destruction of the shrubbery have fortunately found a new place behind the Cavalry Memorial, and the male was singing happily.
The male Chaffinch had spotted me from some distance, and plonked himself down in the flower bed below.
A Great Spotted Woodpecker called from a tree near the Speke obelisk.
A pair of Long-Tailed Tits have already started work on a nest in the brambles here. It takes them a while to build their large and complicated nests, and they have to start early.
The female Little Owl at the Round Pond stayed at the back of the hole.
The male Peregrine was on the barracks as it began to rain.
One reason why we're seeing them here again is that the deserted hotel in the Cromwell Road, where he nested with his late mate, is finally being renovated. Scaffolding has been crawling up the side of the 300 ft tower and has now reached the top, so their place is full of workmen.
The sitting Grey Heron in the top nest stood up to preen. Its mate was in the nest below. It's handy for the herons that there are so many old unused nests here, as there's always a place to stand comfortably.
The one in the west nest was alone again, also preening.
A heron in the reeds below the Italian Garden fountains caught a small carp.
The marble fountain is out of order yet again, and a pair of Egyptian Geese stood on the lower bowl.
The lower bowl is not marble, it's Portland limestone and much eroded by over 160 years of London air and acid rain. The Victorians were keen on this stone because they liked its whiteness when new, but it doesn't last well. The yellow York and Caen sandstone used for older buildings is more durable.
The Coot pair that built a nest on the chain at Peter Pan lost their enthusiasm and left it to fall to bits. But they were back on the spot today fondly preening each other, and will probably start again soon.
Ahmet Amerikali was on Hampstead Heath, where he found a Stonechat ...
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... and the female Kestrel obligingly flew over.
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Nice selection, Ralph.
ReplyDeletePleased your Song Thrush has found a new territory. It's a bird that's common near me in wilder areas though not a garden bird.
Sadly different case with Chaffinch which is quite a rarity with just odd wintering birds encountered.
Good to see the queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee. I've has small numbers of workers in my garden through the winter, visiting Mahonia & Clematis cirrhosa.
Very glad to see the poor evicted birds have found their feet. I think the worst is past, if they have made it so far.
ReplyDeleteAmazing that you managed to make the Blue Tit on the witch hazel bush sit still for that wonderful picture. They're always twitching around.
Tinúviel
That Blue Tit is the one with odd head feathers, and has known me for some time. It was waiting for me to produce a pine nut. Coal Tits are really hard to photograph as they dart about, as difficult as Goldcrests. But unlike Goldcrests, which are not interested in humans, Coal Tits will lose patience and fly away if not fed, so you only have 30 seconds to get a picture.
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