Saturday 5 July 2014

The Tawny Owlets were in a chestnut tree near the leaf yard, only partly visible through the leaves. But they are getting so hard to see now that one is grateful for the merest glimpse.


They are now completely the same colour as their parents, and only their smaller size and proportionately huge eyes distinguish them from adults. But they will be dependent on their parents for a couple of months yet before they are kicked out into the wide world to hunt their own prey.

The Little Owl was much easier to see in his usual place.


Yesterday Wendy, who runs the excellent Wino Wendy's Wildlife World blog, saw one of the Little owlets in the adjacent chestnut tree. She has some fine pictures of a different Little Owl which has caught a mouse.

The two young Moorhens in the Italian Garden are now completely unattended by their parents, which are busy with their new nest. Nevertheless, they survive, thanks to a Moorhen's instinct for skulking in the cover of the clumps of plants.


This young Blackbird was picking up a plum under the tree near the Triangle car park, which is laden with ripening fruit. Sorry about this poor picture -- it's very hard to get a good shot in the deep shade under the trees.


Two Mallards were foraging in the waterfall in the Dell. Whatever they are looking for, it must have been worth the effort, as they struggled to keep their footing in the fast flowing water.


The Dell was full of Starlings, displacing the usual mob of Feral Pigeons. This young bird is just beginning to grow its splendid iridescent plumage.


In the Flower Walk, a pigeon was waiting to use the bath.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the plug Ralph, but just want to make clear my photos and blog post were from my own patch which is Cranford Country Park near Heathrow.
    However any sighting of a Little Owl is great news, no matter where it is. They may not be native birds but they are certainly becoming one of our cutest and much loved, and they have no impact on any of our native bird species.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi it was me who saw the little owl owlet yesterday and I am Wendy but not the one you mentioned! A co incidence that I was with Sue when we saw it! Wendy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Never mind, we are all in this strange enterprise together.

      Delete
  3. What a great sequence of coincidences :)

    ReplyDelete