Sunday 6 November 2016

The young Grey Heron at the Dell restaurant barged into a crowd of waterfowl that were being fed.


The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull tried an aerial attack on the other end of the crowd.


But this method is ineffective, because Feral Pigeons can take off so fast. He abandoned it and went back to his usual method of chasing them on the ground. He didn't catch one while I was there.

There was a large gang of Cormorants on the island resting after a fishing expedition.


A young Great Crested Grebe on the Serpentine wasn't fishing either. It was idly playing with a leaf.


Three Jackdaws were bathing among Shovellers at the end of the gravel bank in the Long Water.


More Shovellers have arrived, and there are now at least two dozen.

A Starling was looking splendid in the morning sunshine.


It was one of a group that were eyeing some people eating cake at the Lido restaurant, hoping to be thrown crumbs. They didn't get any.

A Jay in the leaf yard was also looking hopeful, and of course got a peanut.


And a Coal Tit ...


... and a Nuthatch were also in the bushes waiting for their turn.


There was no sign of a Little Owl at the leaf yard. In the oak tree near the Albert Memorial there was nothing but s Stock Dove, the owls' rival for ownership of the nest hole.


But there was a Little Owl in the lime trees on Buck Hill above the Henry Moore sculpture. This is a very shy bird, and it flew away as soon as it was spotted.


There were plenty of Blackbirds in the rowan trees. The berries are now a bit shrivelled, which makes them sweeter, and that is how the birds prefer them.

4 comments:

  1. Lovely photos as always Ralph. Thanks again for the 'tour' and tech advice this morning!

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    1. Always a pleasure to show people round the park.

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  2. The pigeons seem surprisingly unpanicked by the heron, considering they are potential prey for it, too. Jim

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    1. None of the herons seems to have had that idea ... yet.

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