Monday 19 February 2018

It was a dismal wet morning. The Little Owl near the Albert Memorial, sheltered in her hole, was having a preen.


But the owl near the Henry Moore sculpture sat imperturbably in the rain. I've often noticed that she is much tougher than the other Little Owls.


Song Thrushes enjoy rain, because it brings up worms. This one near the leaf yard was having a singing contest with another.


A Wren in the Flower Walk was poking around in the gravel rolled into the tarmac path. It's often here, and must be finding food but, whatever this is, it's so tiny that I have never seen it.


A Green Woodpecker was looking bedraggled ...


... and so was a Jay ...


... and a Carrion Crow only slightly less so.


Some crows at the leaf yard were enjoying a brawl ...


... and so were some Coots on the Long Water.


The dank scene was enlivened by the sound of Redwings and Starlings in the trees beside the Serpentine.


Blondie the Egyptian Goose has two young, down from five two days ago though I couldn't find her then.


A pair of Canada Geese were exploring a possible nest site in the reed bed near the Italian Garden. Canadas, probably the same pair, have looked at this place before, but have always gone for somewhere more secluded.


Several pairs of Mute Swans were courting.


Almost all the wintering Pochards have left. There were just three on the Long Water.


The little pool at the top of the Dell waterfall is full of coins thrown in by visitors. Throwing valuable objects into water dates back to the time of the ancient Britons -- see for example the Battersea Shield.

But Mallards are splendidly indifferent to wealth, and were diving for food.


A young Herring Gull played with a stick on a post near the island.



2 comments:

  1. We've gone too long without a Coot fight. I had began to suspect that all Coots had been replaced by peaceful Body Snatchers.

    Maybe the Henry Moore Little Owl stood there in the rain to compensate Ralph a bit for what appears to be a very cold rainy walk.

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    1. This is a very tough owl. She always sits on the shady side of the branch when the others are basking in the sunshine. Perhaps she is an unusually good hunter and so well fed that she has energy to burn and can always keep warm. The pair raised three owlets last year, while other pairs never seemed able to keep more than two.

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