tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post6632661815699031155..comments2024-03-29T01:41:15.713+00:00Comments on Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park birds: Ralph Hancockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-28676661360213064472015-04-08T22:14:16.276+01:002015-04-08T22:14:16.276+01:00Thanks very much for the correction. It's alwa...Thanks very much for the correction. It's always a pleasure to be put right on a subject of which I am deplorably ignorant.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-54401352981924817272015-04-08T21:19:19.134+01:002015-04-08T21:19:19.134+01:00Hi Ralph, your bumblebee is in fact a male of the ...Hi Ralph, your bumblebee is in fact a male of the early solitary bee, Hairy-Footed Flower bee, Anthophora plumipes, a harbinger of spring and one of my favourite bees. They do look like little bumblebees: the males tawny and the females jet black, with orange rear legs where they carry pollen. Records for the species can be reported here:<br />http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=content/submit-sighting-anthophora-plumipes-hairy-footed-flower-bee<br /><br />And there is more info on the species here:<br />http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=content/beginners-bees-and-wasps-anthophora-plumipesAfrica Gomezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03501193251810926737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-57898688582575270862015-04-06T08:01:15.579+01:002015-04-06T08:01:15.579+01:00Great reply Ralph. Yes, it seems impossible to &#...Great reply Ralph. Yes, it seems impossible to 'educate' some folk! I came to my own conclusion not to feed anything to birds (outside of my garden) - they are stuffed with the inappropriate food others bring, and there is so much natural food in the places I visit anyway!Cathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09683657915069578017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-46158720566822566542015-04-05T23:24:19.239+01:002015-04-05T23:24:19.239+01:00Yes, depending on what was in the opaque packs, of...Yes, depending on what was in the opaque packs, of course -- were they intended for waterfowl or little songbirds? One problem is that the ducks, geese and swans in the park are so used to being fed bread that when you give them so-called wildfowl food, which is grain of some kind, they don't recognise it as edible. Another is that people don't take any notice of signs. There are signs at the Round Pond telling you not to feed bread to the birds, but it doesn't stop people, including one man who goes there all the time and is abusive when challenged. Of course there are also signs all around the Round Pond telling people to put dogs on leads, and look what happens.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-61331964909435929642015-04-05T20:48:35.686+01:002015-04-05T20:48:35.686+01:00Ralph when I visited Savill Gardens recently they ...Ralph when I visited Savill Gardens recently they had a sign at the ticket desk saying please don't feed bread to the birds, and selling packs of approved bird food (these were opaque, so I couldn't see what was in them). This seemed a good idea.Cathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09683657915069578017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-72814142372611889832015-04-05T19:51:11.786+01:002015-04-05T19:51:11.786+01:00No, both these are OK, but don't given them pe...No, both these are OK, but don't given them peanuts.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-63219523322305481752015-04-05T19:41:51.642+01:002015-04-05T19:41:51.642+01:00As the nesting season is here, should I stop feedi...As the nesting season is here, should I stop feeding the small birds pine nuts and sunflower seeds? I'm worried that their chicks may choke if fed this food stuff. Sue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com