Another cold morning with a freezing wind. At the corner of the bridge Great Tits flocked out in crowds to be fed.
This is the mate of the Coal Tit I photographed in the yew in the Dell yesterday. You can tell them apart because the other one has little white marks above its eyes.
A Coal Tit in a hawthorn in the Rose Garden ate a pine nut. This is also one of a pair.
A Blue Tit waited its turn in the same tree.
A Great Tit came out of an abelia bush, another plant flowering at the wrong time. The present cold snap, expected to last two more days, should convince the plants of their mistake and send them back to sleep till the spring.
A Robin called from another bush.
Ahmet Amerikali photographed a Long-Tailed Tit at the northwest corner of the bridge. The moving flocks collect at the edge of a clump of trees before flying together across the gap to the next clump, in this case crossing the roadway on the bridge.
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A Jay waited for a peanut beside the Long Water. None of the Jays that are appearing here will fly down to take a peanut from my fingers, probably a sign that they are young and haven't yet learnt the trick from older Jays. It's to their advantage to do this, as they don't have to compete with Carrion Crows and Magpies on the ground.
A Magpie looked expectant on the railings of the Diana fountain. There is just one Magpie in Kensington Gardens that perches on my hand to take a peanut. Its sharp claws make this a painful moment.
People put halved apples on the railing spikes by the Long Water for the Rose-Ringed Parakeets, which much prefer apples to any other fruit. They are fussy, insisting on red apples. Granny Smiths and Golden Delicious are ignored.
A Pied Wagtail on the edge of the Serpentine trying to advance into the strong wind was blown sideways.
The wind suited the Black-Headed Gulls, which were swooping around over the reed bed by the Serpentine outflow.
This one, Blue 2331, seems to be a high-ranking bird as it is often seen on the same post on the south shore. Junior gulls soon get knocked off their superiors.
A Moorhen looked for food in dead leaves in the Dell. Even for adaptable and omnivorous Moorhens winter is a hard time.
The Mute Swan family, seen looking down the Long Water from the Italian Garden to Peter Pan. There was no one at the railings, a sign of what a chilly day it was even though the sun was out.
Greylag and Canada geese, and one hybrid at far left, made the most of the puddles on the Serpentine Road from last night's rain.
The number of Red-Crested Pochard drakes on the Long Water has gone up to five. They don't migrate like Common Pochards, and just move around from park to park as the fancy takes them. In both species females are scarce, evidently because they are predated while nesting.
The Gadwall and Mallard trio dozed by the boathouses.
Poor Wagtail, buffeted and blown by the wind. I've seen them take off in almost gale-force winds, so I can only shutter to think how strong the wind was there today.
ReplyDeletePoor Great Tits look so hungry. They should thank their bird god that you exist.
Tinúviel
The Wagtail could fly into the wind well enough, but on the ground it was just on its little feet and easily dislodged.
DeleteThe Great Tits, and indeed the other small birds that come to be fed, will be supplied as well as they can be throughout the winter. They may not be grateful for their Christmas present but they will be happier, and that's what matters.