A Wood Pigeon reached desperately for holly berries on the end of a thin twig, and of course fell off.
The Robin at Mount Gate is the only bird that needs to be called to show itself, but it's settled in this arrangement now.
The familiar Robin in the Rose Garden was in the usual hawthorn tree, occasionally trying to sing against the racket of the Wasteland, police sirens, motorbikes and a helicopter. The Rose Garden, only yards from Hyde Park Corner, is a noisy place.
There were a lot of Blue Tits here. They are more mobile than Great Tits and often go around in flocks. All were accustomed to being hand fed, so I was kept busy. One waited on the ferocious spiny twig of a rugosa rose.
one of the Coal Tits was waiting in the corkscrew hazel in the Dell.
A Blackbird wasn't doing much in a tree near the Ranger's Lodge, but they are getting so rare in the park that seeing one at all is a small event
Ahmet Amerikali was in Battersea Park, where he scored a hat trick of a Cetti's Warbler ...
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... a Firecrest ...
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... and a Goldcrest all within a few feet of each other.
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This Black-Headed Gull, Yellow 2F12, has been visiting the park since 2023. I reported it at the time and found that it had been ringed on the seafront at Westcliff in Essex in February, and had later been seen in Regent's Park.
The dominant gull at the landing stage has noticeably more dark feathers on its head than the last time I photographed it only two days ago.
A Grey Heron was back in the top nest on the island ...
... and another was preening in the east nest. Both these nests were successful last season. If the follow the same schedule as they did last year we should see things beginning to happen in about three weeks.
The small willow on the edge of the lake by the Triangle is much used by a heron as a vantage point ...
... and there was another keeping a lookout on the handrail of the Lido jetty. They aren't really watching for prey here, they just like to keep an eye on what's going on.
The Black Swan spotted me from a distance and came straight over for his daily treat of sunflower hearts.
Two pairs of Egyptian Geese shouted and chased each other in an oak tree by the leaf yard.
A pair of Egyptians courted, if this rough approach can be called that, and mated on the Serpentine. It's no fun at all for the female.
And we have the video! It's incredible from how far away it can spot you.If a Black Swan sped up to visit me like that my head would explode.
ReplyDeleteGreat video of the falling Pigeon, of course. It's funny how it deploys and fans its tail while trying not to fall - I'm reminded of when exhibiting aircraft will lower the landing gear when doing a low fly-by, to avoid stalling.
Tinúviel
It's a shame that he only hooted once, and quietly. But he doesn't hoot at me, he just cruises over expecting his reward.
DeleteSpeaking of exhibiting aircraft, I see that the pilot of the Su-57 is in the doghouse for his bravura display.
Bummer. But I'm not sure it's true: there's nothing about it in Russian sources.
DeleteTinúviel
Perhaps. But the Russians would have had reasons to shut up after their aircraft was shown off so spectacularly, unsafe or not.
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