Thursday 5 January 2017

A Song Thrush was singing at the top of an alder near the Rose Garden. Often a sunny day will start them singing in the depth of winter.


A remarkably bold female Blackbird by the Dell advanced on me, clearly expecting to be fed. When I back off to take a photograph she came farther forward, so it was quite hard to get a shot. She got her food, of course.


A Jay in the leaf yard was also hoping for a contribution.


On the grass below, several Magpies were looning about. I think the one on the left is one of this year's young seeing if it can still get a parent to feed it. But it might be a female testing to see if a prospective mate will bring food. Anyway, the other bird took no notice.


The female Little Owl was looking out of the oak tree near the Albert Memorial.


In the next tree, a pair of Goldcrests were chasing each other around.


Near the Dell restaurant, a Lesser Black-Backed Gull was eating the last scraps of a pigeon carcase. I think this is the second pigeon-eating gull, the one with pinkish legs. But I also think it hadn't caught this one, and it was finishing off a pigeon killed by the first gull, which was nowhere to be seen.


At the Lido, two young Mute Swans were playing with a buoy, pulling it over and watching it bob upright again.


The sunshine flattered the smart plumage of a Gadwall.


A pair of Tufted Ducks were also looking very fine.



Mud doesn't stick to a Pochard's feathers, but it does to its bill. This one, which had been dabbling in some sticky place, really needed to wash its face.


There was a little group of Shovellers on the Round Pond.

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