A Coal Tit in the Flower Walk struck an appropriate pose in the twisty twigs of the corkscrew hazel bush.
Another in the Rose Garden dashed about in a big California bay tree doing its best not to be photographed, but I got it after several minutes ...
... and rewarded it with a pine nut.
Half a dozen Blue Tits also turned up to be fed.
A male Blackbird was looking for worms in a flower bed.
A Robin beside the Long Water had the majestic gaze of a Roman emperor.
A Magpie waited in an oak sapling. Young oak trees keep their brown leaves on in winter, as do young beeches, but both drop their leaves when they get larger.
The male Little Owl on Buck Hill called several times from inside the hole, but wouldn't come out. It was a dark and slightly drizzly day so you couldn't blame him.
The female Pied Wagtail at the Lido carefully skirted a Moorhen. I kept filming because she then found a lot of the tiny white larvae which seem to be her main reason for hunting here. I have no idea what they are.
The male Peregrine was on the tower by himself as usual. He kept his back turned to the world and refused to look round.
When two Black-Headed Gulls are calling to one another it's very hard to know whether it's a pair displaying or whether it's rivals tring to establish dominance. You just have to wait and see what happens next.
A female Lesser Black-Backed Gull flirted with an 18-month old Herring Gull, not just the wrong species but much too young to be doing such things -- it takes four years for these big gulls to reach adulthood. He was encouraged and picked up a leaf, a sign of interest. (Incidentally, the female is not Mrs Pigeon Eater who is a model of good conduct.)
A Grey Heron in the middle nest was adjusting the twigs, and at one point sat down to see if it was comfortable.
This young heron is often seen fishing from the electric boat charging platform at the boathouse. I first photographed it here in June, soon after it had fledged.
The new swan nesting raft by the Diana reed bed is constantly claimed by a heron. It will have to move in spring when a pair of swans take a fancy to the place.
The Black Swan was with 4GIQ by the landing stage. I gave them sunflower hearts and the dominant Black-Headed Gull promptly arrived to grab some.
Two of the teenagers on the Long Water rested in the place they have flattened in the reeds, watched by a female Pochard.
The pair of Egyptian Geese who live in the Huntress fountain in the Rose Garden ...
... spotted visitors feeding a squirrel, and hurred over to see if they would be fed too. They got a few scraps.
Hi Ralph,
ReplyDeleteIs the female Lesser gull around the Triangle area/North side? She is very friendly and patient and always gets something from me ( it was a market fish the other day ( they gave me a discount on another kilo so now my fridge and freezer are overwhelmed with sardines! )
Jenna
If I may please let me convey my admiration for you, Jenna. You don't know me from Adam, but reading about how kind you are to the birds in the Park makes me believe that birds look on you and Ralph as they would their guardian angels.
DeleteTinúviel
Sounds like the same one. They were between the Triangle and the island.
Delete... there's something vaguely disquieting about a Gull playing Mrs Robinson!
ReplyDeleteTinúviel
My thought exactly.
DeleteThank you. It's been a lot of hard work last few months, but my theory is that birds that are well fed are more able to fight diseases ( such as bird flu ). So I have upped my efforts, so far we have been okay, or maybe we had it on the lake last month but this year they are all strong and ready to fight. Jenna
ReplyDelete