Wednesday 7 May 2014

A good number of Swifts were flying over the Serpentine and the Round Pond. The insects they were hunting were high up, and so were they. It's impossible to get a good photograph when they are overhead, but at least this one shows that they were there.


On the edge of the Serpentine, a male Pied Wagtail was collecting insects for a nest somewhere.


They make their nests in holes in trees and walls, or sometimes reuse the abandoned nest of a larger bird, so they can manage just about anywhere. Their adaptability explains why they do so well in cities, feeding on the insects that collect on human rubbish.

A Mute Swan had taken a dislike to a Canada Goose and was chasing it up and down the reed bed near the Diana memorial.


I didn't see what had annoyed it. For some reason the goose refused to fly away, which would have been the sensible thing to do in the circumstances.

A Blackbird was having a vigorous bath at the top of the waterfall in the Dell.


The three Canada goslings are in good shape and growing fast. Their parents took them to feed on the new turf on the edge of the Lido swimming area.


These four Egyptian goslings, the eldest of the three broods at present on the Serpentine, are also noticeably larger. Both parents were looking after them and keeping them close to guard against gulls.


The male Little Owl came out on his tree several times, once when it was raining.


After I had taken this picture he flew to the next chestnut tree to the east, near the path, where he had nested two years ago.

The Tawny Owl has been out of sight since Saturday, in spite of the efforts of several experienced owl watchers to find him.

1 comment:

  1. Lovely photos and very nice capture of the Pied Wagtail with a mouthful! That is a busy little bird and such an image is NOT easy to capture!

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