Crow: Less Black Than Suspected...

Better in large ("L"): see its glossy plumage shine.

I visited Mount Pond twice today (briefly); I'm still not feeling great, but needed a pond-pick-me-up. When I visited first thing, the male pochard was back, and there was also a female one! Both just stayed stock still with their heads tucked under their wings... Unimpressed.

When I returned this afternoon, the pochards were awake (!), but right in the middle of the pond... They were diving for food, so it was nice to see them in action, but they were too far away for a satisfying photograph. I photographed mallards and tufted ducks (which were making very cute little noises), and then the other photographer appeared with bread so I got to photograph the gulls wheeling and swooping in to catch it which was fun. He also put a piece of crust on top of this fencepost saying "the pigeons won't touch it, but a crow'll appear and take it"; he was right! This was the crow that took the bread.
I was amazed by the iridescence of its wing plumage (in spite of the overcast sky and poor light); it isn't as impressive as the ravens we saw in France, but at least it is possible to get close to these urban crows for more detailed photographs. Another in my "familiarity breeds contempt" series.