It rained all day, ranging from a drenching drizzle to a downpour that had me sheltering under the bridge. Seen from there, the Canada Geese were not bothered ...
... and neither was a Great Crested Grebe fishing under the pontoons ...
... or a pair of Mallards in the Italian Garden ...
... but a Jay by the bridge was looking sadly soggy. A peanut cheered it up.
The Robin at the southwest corner of the bridge has thick brambles under trees to shelter in, and was only looking slightly spattered ...
... but by the time I got to Mount Gate an hour and a half later, the Robin there was looking damp when it came out of the bushes.
The male Chaffinch in the Rose Garden perched on a hawthorn twig next to a Great Tit ...
... and the two Coal Tits ...
... and a small band of Blue Tits turned up for their daily treat.
It's odd that although there were lots of small birds here, and mobs of them on the way from the Serpentine Gallery to the bridge, the Flower Walk was completely deserted.
It was the turn of the male Pied Wagtail to appear on the edge of the Serpentine. Males have a black back.
This is his mate filmed a few days ago, showing her grey back.
There were pairs of Grey Herons in the nests at the west end of the island ...
... and the east end.
It's hard to see what's going on in the upper nests, but it seems likely that at least one of them is occupied.
The solitary Moorhen in the Dell wandered through the wet grass.
Two Tufted drakes, now in their smart black and white breeding plumage, preened on a chain at the island.
The Black Swan was following 4GIQ as usual, and as usual he cruised over for some sunflower hearts.
She didn't come to share them. Perhaps it might have made her seem too friendly towards him. And as we know, she has a Mute mate though he seems untroubled by her persistent stalker.
That's a really odd situation. Swans' social lives is maze-like.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why the Jay doesn't take a page from Magpies and shelters itself from the rain under window ledges and architectural elements, like our magpies do at the slightest presence of rain.
Poor little things must work double time finding food to make up for heat loss due to drenching. Thank God for their guardian angel and his cargo of pine nuts and peanuts.
Tinúviel
Yes, it is odd about Jays not sheltering. I've often seen them wringing wet, but never a Magpie with more than a slight sprinkling of raindrops. Neither species is accustomed to using tree holes as far as I know. There aren't many ledges in the park, but Jays range widely and I'm sure they could find a place if the idea occurred to them. However, it seems not to have.
DeleteThe photo of the mallards is beautiful. And that pour [sic] drenched Jay is heartbreaking. Wonder if it could learn to shelter if allowed to fetch some nuts from beneath a covered spot somewhere. Good to see the cheery little birds and the impressive herons nesting, and the male pied wagtail too.
ReplyDeleteI have to wonder whether Jays even mind getting wet. Sometimes on very rainy days I have seen small birds such as Song Thrushes and Robins getting even wetter by taking the opportunity to bathe in a puddle. Birds are little furnaces. They don't get cold as long as they have food to burn.
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