Friday 5 September 2014

There is a new Great Crested Grebe chick on the Serpentine, younger and smaller than the others. I have no idea where the nest was, but the chick was being fed between the bridge and the boathouse. Its parents were doing well, bringing it three fish within 20 minutes.


The Hobbies were still whirling around high over the Long Water, twisting and turning in the air with wonderful skill. This one was chasing a Sparrowhawk.


Below them a female Ring-Necked Parakeet had nervously taken shelter in an ash tree. I consoled it with a peanut.


Several large crowds of Long-Tailed Tits and other small birds were ranging around the Long Water. These big flocks are a winter habit, and must help them find insects when they are scarce, as well as providing a lot of eyes to look out for predators as they fly from one bare tree to another.


A  Wood Pigeon was bingeing on rowan berries in the trees on Buck Hill.


Mistle Thrushes and Starlings are also beginning to show an interest in the berries. Last year the Starlings spent weeks around these trees and took the lion's share.

The dark brown Mallard duckling has grown noticeably. Here it is on one of the floating rafts of water plants at the east end of the Serpentine. It can still just squeeze through the mesh.


On the Round Pond, a male Red-Crested Pochard was enjoying a vigorous wash. He is still in eclipse and will not be growing his bright ginger head plumage for a couple of months yet.

2 comments:

  1. What a fantastic blog, who would have thought there was so much wildlife in the middle of London.
    Your photo of hobbys is I think of a hobby mobbing a sparrowhawk, great photo though.
    I am visiting the Park in November to look for ring necked parakeets, I hope there are some left after the hobbys leave!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. I was wondering about the front bird's rather blunt wings.

      I don't think you will have any difficulty finding Ring-Necked Parakeets in the park. They are everywhere, yelling and screaming.

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