Sunday 1 May 2016

A pair of Blue Tits are nesting in one of the lamp posts behind the Lido swimming area, as usual.


Only some of the gas lamps are suitable for nests: the ones with a bulge in the top of the cast iron lamp standard, which gives birds just enough room. Only Blue Tits nest in these places, because the gap between the gas pipe and the hole is too narrow for a Great Tit. However, some lamp posts have access holes lower down which a Great Tit can get through, and I am keeping an eye on a lamp on the path across the top of the Dell, numbered 88, where a pair usually nest.

Under the willow tree near the bridge, a Coot is still persevering with its strangely sited nest. But the twigs keep falling off the stump, and even a Coot's persistence will fail eventually.


The female Mute Swan on the island in the Serpentine was turning her eggs. I could see four, but there may be more.


The swans' obsessive habit of destroying all the plants around their nests has led to part of the island subsiding into the water. There is enough left to support the nest, but the island will need building up when they have finished with it.

The Black Swan and his girlfriend were in the same place as yesterday, beside the Bluebird Boats building.


They are next to the place where food for the waterfowl is sold, and are also in view of the queue to buy ice cream, so it's an excellent place to tout for food.

A Gadwall was feeding on the edge of the Serpentine.


The sunlight showed off the fine purple iridescence on the head of a Tufted Duck at Peter Pan.


Two Mandarin drakes were resting on the edge of the pool in front of the Rima relief. Possibly they have mates nesting in nearby trees.


It would be interesting to see if ducklings are brought down to this pond. It is very small but it is also overgrown with nutritious duckweed, and would keep a family going for some time.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was pecking at the park of an oak tree next to the leaf yard. Its eyes are half closed, and you can see the extra-strong eyelids that keep its eyes from popping out when it is pecking. Woodpeckers also have a shock absorber inside their skull to avoid brain damage.


A female Blackcap was flying around a hawthorn tree near Peter Pan.


The Little Owl in the lime tree near the Henry Moore sculpture was the only one I saw today.


The one in the oak tree was out at times, but I missed him despite three visits.

These medium-sized mushrooms were growing between the bridge and Rima. I thought they were St George's mushrooms (Calocybe gambosa), but checking on the web shows that the gills are wrong for this species -- they are subdecurrent, running a short way down the stem, rather than adnate, meeting it at right angles, as in a St George's mushroom.

11 comments:

  1. I think I saw a common tern today Ralph. By a bridge over the Thames. There were 'beach' areas. In an appearance it was a cross between a sea gull and a swallow with a black head, and elegant flight. What do you think?

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    1. It sounds reasonable. The forked tail is diagnostic (though some other terns don't have forked tails).

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    2. Ah, great. I'll look out for that next time I go there. Thanks.

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  2. I was in the park again today. I still cannot find the tree near the Henry Moore sculpture where you see the owls. Can you tell me how far from the sculpture it is and to the left or right when standing with back towards it?

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    1. I'll repeat the directions. Go to the southeast corner of the square enclosure around the sculpture -- that is, the corner on the path nearest to the bridge. Look up the hill to the old brick buildings on the left of the Magazine. One of them has a chimney. The Little Owls' tree is directly in front of that, and the hole is in the left fork of this Y-shaped tree. It's maybe 60 yards up the hill from the path.

      Don't step off the path when looking: any movement towards the owl makes it dive into its hole. If you want to get closer, make a wide circle and come down to the tree from uphill, go past it, turn round, and look up with your binoculars already in front of your face to hide your eyes.

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  3. Pedants' corner. To be precise, that is one of the woodpecker's nictitating membranes, which are drawn over to absorb the shocks. Jim n.L.

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    1. Yes, I know. Was trying not to be over-technical.

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  4. I'm pretty sure the mushrooms are St. Georges. There are plenty in the park at the moment. The one upside down is a bit old and dry.
    Mario

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    1. Just to be sure, I found today your mushrooms. They are St Georges. In St George mushrooms the gills are emarginate (or sinuate), not adnate. When the cap is old and dry, they will look slightly decurrent.
      Mario

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    2. Thanks very much. If I had recognised them correcyly, of course you wouldn't have found them because I would have eaten them.

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  5. Thank you for directions to the little owls tree. sorry to keep asking but it is not easy with so many trees around the park. Thank you for the tip of how to approach the nest without disturbing them!

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