Wednesday 9 July 2014

Two young Pied Wagtails were chasing a parent along the edge of the Round Pond.


The new high kerb that has been built around the pond suits wagtails well, as they can hide under it while people walk by, and are not forced to fly away.


A young Grey Wagtail was in the same place as yesterday, hunting along the edge of the Serpentine near the outflow.


It is older than the Pied Wagtails, and already independent of its parents.

There was a new brood of four Mallard ducklings on one of the Italian Garden ponds.


The Coot chicks are still here, though it was impossible to count them today because they were in a clump of reeds. The single Coot chick at Peter Pan, as well as the solitary Mallard duckling here, have also survived. A young Grey Heron came down, clearly intending to eat both of them if it could, but walked too close to the Mute Swan cygnets and was chased away.


A pair of Moorhens in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace have two broods. The elder chicks, which are now teenagers, are helping to feed the younger ones.


The male Little Owl was not in his usual place, and I couldn't find him. It was a windy day and his favourite branch was tossing about, so he had probably found a more solid and sheltered perch.

But the eldest and largest of the Tawny owlets was in a chestnut tree near the leaf yard, once that the owlets have used before.


The other two were unfindable, despite a through search of adjacent trees. At this time of year it is getting more and more likely that each picture you take of the owlets will be the last one of the season.

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