Bushy Park:
Red Crested Pochard: thirty-two were on the Diana Fountain.
Barn Swallow: seventy-five flew SW in several groups prior to 8.50am.
Meadow Pipit: thirty-six birds flew SW.
Sitting there minding his/her own business not bothering anyone, apart from the corvids it seems.
Cormorants on the Diana Fountain, while below them Red Crested Pochards fed on insects in the algae. The males are still mostly in eclipse plumage and are recognisable with their bright red bills.
Richmond Park:
Mute Swan: Eleven were on Pen Ponds.
Barn Swallow: thirty flew SW.
Meadow Pipit: twelve flew SW.
Yellow Wagtail: two flew over Pen Ponds.
Grey Wagtail: two were by Pen Ponds.
Swan war on Upper and Lower Pen Ponds
Four swans sitting on the bank of the lower pond until forced into the water by yet another irresponsible dog owner. Well the cob on that pond isn’t in the mood for sharing.
Two swans chose the correct option and flew off while the others did a circuit of the upper pond. They must have thought the resident pair with their cygnets looked more threatening so chose to land return to the lower, wrong decision.
As soon as they land the cob that had moved to the far end promptly flew the hole length and forced them back out on to the bank.
Comments
2 Spotted Flycatcher (E end of St John's Lodge garden, area 29), 1 Nuthatch (area 29 & environs since 10 Sep at least), 30 Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcap, 1 Swallow SE 09:50, 3 Shoveler. There were a few dozen chaffinches in areas 17 and 29 early this morning.
The Nuthatch seems quite territorial. Are there any nest boxes, I wonder, in the garden (in the unlikely case it decides to stay and it finds a mate)?
1 Hobby over E 07:25 (Barrow Hill Reservoir, area 48), 1 Common Whitethroat (Reservoir thicket 07:20), 3 Blackcap (areas 33 and 39), 20 Chiffchaff, 1 Grey Wagtail (flew from boathouse to edge of Children's Boating Pond, area 3 at 08:50), 9 Shoveler (5m, 4f), 1m Gadwall, 3 House Martin over lake.
Another unidentified flyover, this time seen flying SE into the hazy sun at 07:50. Size, tail shape, bounding flight and call (a downward-slurred, wheezy "tzeez!") all lead me to plump for Tree Pipit but I can't be sure. These unidentified, flyover pipit/wagtail/finch species are getting on my nerves! Tomorrow is supposed to be clear with a N/NE breeze so I'm going to bite the bullet, forgo my normal birding circuit and sit like a bump on a log all morning atop Primrose Hill facing north so I can hear these little blighters coming in good light conditions! Wish me luck...