{"id":1544,"date":"2017-05-24T20:47:50","date_gmt":"2017-05-24T20:47:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/?p=1544"},"modified":"2017-05-24T21:02:04","modified_gmt":"2017-05-24T21:02:04","slug":"a-few-from-roberts-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/a-few-from-roberts-park\/","title":{"rendered":"A few from Robert’s Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you have read some of my previous posts you will know that I quite like the walk through Robert’s Park morning and evening, and very often lunchtime too.<\/p>\n

The height of the water going over the weir varies tremendously, as does the noise it makes.<\/p>\n

\"Heron<\/a><\/p>\n

On Monday\u00a0lunchtime it was bubbling over the weir. And as is often the case a Heron was there. I am not sure whether it is looking skyward with its left eye or towards the water, and food, with its right eye. Given that it has its neck stretched upwards I guess it is looking skyward.<\/p>\n

\"Heron<\/a><\/p>\n

This evening, Wednesday, the Heron was definitely looking to the water for food. As you can see the water level was lower than on Monday.<\/p>\n

\"Heron<\/a><\/p>\n

Many times the Herons look as though they are just in the water to keep their feet cool but this one was definitely after food. And finding it. Sometimes little fish like this one<\/p>\n

\"Heron<\/a><\/p>\n

and sometimes slightly larger ones.<\/p>\n

\"Heron<\/a><\/p>\n

After having caught a few it gave a shudder. I wondered what it was doing but then it gave a big shudder\/flutter and shock its head and something flew out of its beak. Perhaps getting rid of something that was stuck in its long neck? All perhaps all the shuddering\/fluttering was because it was working something up from its stomach? Research needed.<\/p>\n

\"Oystercatcher<\/a><\/p>\n

On Wednesday morning, when going through the park, I spotted this Oystercatcher on the cricket pitch. Look at that nicely tended grass. I’m sure that makes it easier to find food in amongst the blades of grass<\/p>\n

\"Oystercatcher<\/a><\/p>\n

It was finding food, and eating it. Does that mean that the ones I suspect are nesting at the Tax Office have not hatched yet?<\/p>\n

\"Oystercatcher<\/a><\/p>\n

Somehow it was managing to stick that beak into the ground…<\/p>\n

\"Oystercatcher<\/a><\/p>\n

and pull out “tasty” (??) morsels.<\/p>\n

As usual you can click on the image to view various sizes of it on Flickr.<\/p>\n