Thursday 22 February 2018

A Long-Tailed Tit probed the bark of a tree for insect larvae.


On a chilly day a few hardy people were sitting on the terrace of the Dell restaurant, and a Pied Wagtail was running around under the tables looking for insects attracted by spilt food.


A Starling stood on a table waiting  to dash over and grab something.


The pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull circled overhead, calling to his mate on the shore.


In the Diana fountain enclosure a Black-Headed Gull pattered its feet to bring up worms, and got several.


Two Cormorants in breeding plumage sat side by side on posts at the island.


Cormorants have started breeding inland, in rocky and secluded places, but not in the park.

In the lowest nest on the island, a Grey Heron stood over its sitting mate. They had probably just changed places sitting on the eggs.


A Robin didn't let the cold wind put it off singing.


The flock of Redwings has moved to an area of grass on the edge of Park Lane, where there are more worms than on the Parade Ground.


The hole in the horse chestnut near the Queen's Temple, previously occupied by the male Little Owl of the leaf yard pair, had been taken over by a Stock Dove. I think the pair are now together in their nest tree, but it was too cold for them to venture out.


The sun came out in the early afternoon, and so did the Little Owl in the lime tree near the Henry Moore sculpture, though she was in a place where it was impossible to get a good view of her.


A pair of Great Crested Grebes dozed side by side under the willow near the bridge, doing their well known impersonation of a pair of bedroom slippers.


The sunshine brought out the shine on a Mandarin drake ...


... and a Mallard. They are so common that it's easy to forget the splendour of their iridescent green feathers.


Charlie the Carrion Crow was also looking very shiny. He came up to the bridge with his mate Melissa to demand peanuts.


A Jackdaw near the Albert Memorial had the same idea.

4 comments:

  1. Today was "Look as shiny as possible day", it seems. The Starling, the Ducks and the Corvids got the memo and complied.

    I just love Great-crested Grebes's looking like slippers. They are so adorable I'm sure someone will say it ought to be illegal.

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    1. I would really love to have a pair of slippers made to look like sleeping grebes. But my feeble needlework skills are not up to the job of making them.

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  2. I immediately went on etsy to look for them but alas they do not exist. How about owl slippers instead?How about owl slippers instead?

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for looking. But fond as I am of owls, I don't think I want eyes on my feet.

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