A very dark and drizzly day was much improved by a sight of the Little Owl near the Queen's Temple. It was surpising that he had come out in such dismal conditions.
A Wren hopped around in the undergrowth at the Vista, very hard to photograph as the view was constantly obstructed and this was the best I could manage.
A flock of Long-Tailed Tits was busy at the northwest corner of the bridge.
They concentrated on a dogwood bush. These birds eat seeds as well as insects, but dogwoods have berry-like fruits and these had long gone. However, several kinds of moth infest dogwoods so it seems likely that they were finding tiny larvae.
A Magpie watched them from the other side of the path.
Another Magpie perched on the dead tree by the Italian Garden, a favourite lookout point for all kinds of birds.
It was soon knocked off by a Carrion Crow.
The Jays in Kensington Gardens have remembered that swooping down to seize a peanut from my fingers is a good strategy that saves them from being bullied by Carrion Crows. One near Temple Gate ...
... and another by Peter Pan came down.
Not much was to be seen in the Rose Garden, but a Coal Tit ...
... and a Blue Tit were waiting in one of the usual rose bushes.
The female Pied Wagtail often seen running along the south side of the Serpentine seems to be always the same one. A male appears less often, but a few days ago I saw both of them speed past in pursuit of the Grey Wagtail.
A Grey Heron on the small waterfall in the Dell ...
... noticed a disturbance behind it, a piece of bread moving around in the water. It flew over and found a carp eating it. The carp was too big for the heron to eat, so it decided to grab the bread. A Moorhen nipped in and took a bit.
This trodden-down patch of reeds on the Long Water was made by the Mute Swan family as a resting place, but when they're away a heron finds it a useful place to fish.
Pigeon Eater, on the kerb at the Dell restaurant, was plotting bloody deeds.
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A nearby notice was occupied by the Black-Headed Gull with Blue 2023, one of Bill Haines's rings. Its head is already nearly as dark as that of the fierce gull at the landing stage, probably a sign of the high rank that allows it to occupy a post without getting knocked off.
Boo! Said the Little Owl. May I help you on your trail?
ReplyDeletePigeon Eater has a very wicked look in his eye.
Sean
You won't convince me the Little Owl isn't popping out to say hello to you.
ReplyDeleteOne can almost hear the calculations going on in the Heron's head. Will this fit, will this go down or not. Clever of it not to risk it and go for the bread.
Tinúviel
I think that Little Owl is the only child of the Serpentine Gallery pair, as it was already visibily male when I lost sight of it. But it really doesn't know me, so I am neither interesting nor a particular threat. Although it was a nasty day it wasn't cold, so the owl may just have come out to look around, which they like to do if outside conditions are bearable.
DeleteMr Gloomy, who used to work for the Saudi royals in Rutland Gate (and a thankless job it was, they didn't give him a sou when he retired after years of faithful service) had a pond with koi in his garden. He said that visiting herons used to spear the ones that were too large to eat, just out of spite.