tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post3215655140281375607..comments2024-03-29T01:41:15.713+00:00Comments on Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park birds: A shock for a Coal TitRalph Hancockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-64104818797122913302022-11-29T23:01:22.977+00:002022-11-29T23:01:22.977+00:00No, I've never seen horse chestnuts do this be...No, I've never seen horse chestnuts do this before. And the great drought of 1976 was before the arrival of the leaf miner moth, so there wasn't the double stress that these have undergone.<br /><br />I've seen Black-Headed Gulls doing the worm dance, though not very often, and wondered whether these smallish birds can patter strongly enough to bring up worms. Next time I see one I will film it and see what comes up.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-62332129673397782262022-11-29T22:55:02.437+00:002022-11-29T22:55:02.437+00:00You showed a while ago a horse chestnut that had g...You showed a while ago a horse chestnut that had grown new leaf and before that another horse chestnut that had responded to the stress of drought by over-producing conkers. Recently I’ve noticed ever more horse chestnuts producing new leaf, several yesterday along the path that has a line of sweet chestnut on the opposite side and today several more just north of the Round Pond. As far as I can see no other species have responded to the drought and the mild autumn in the same way, but as you point out, no other species had the leaf miner to double the stress. Have you ever seen this phenomenon before? Or how it develops? <br /><br />Later I had the pleasure of seeing a black-headed gull doing the worm dance at the Triangle car park behind the bench. It's thanks to your blog that I realised what it was doing. What a dainty action! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com