Sunday 29 May 2016

Today was notable for two things, and I didn't get a picture of either of them.

First, the Little Owls in the chestnut tree definitely have two owlets. Paul Turner saw both of them looking out of the nest hole, bobbing their heads from side to side to get a view of the outside world. But when I came past they had gone in and didn't reappear. So here is the male owl preening elsewhere in the tree.


Second, the young Grey Heron on the Serpentine island has come out of its nest. It could be heard moving around in the bushes, tut-tutting to encourage its parents to feed it. But no matter how I dodged about, I couldn't get a sight of it. One of the parents was on a post, looking away and taking absolutely no notice of its calls.


The Great Crested Grebes at the island were with their single chick on the shadow of the electric boat.


Blondie the Egyptian Goose has lost two chicks and is down to four. They are not the only Egyptian family on the Serpentine: there are two other pairs with one chick each.


The Mandarin duckling near the bridge was with both parents, wandering around and flapping its little wings.


The Mute Swans and their cygnets were at Peter Pan. But here for a change is the swan with just one cygnet. They were eating algae in front of the Serpentine island.


The Black Swan has moulted not only his flight feathers but his fine ruffles, and is looking a bit tattty. But he came over cheerfully with his girlfriend to be given a biscuit.


The Coots' nest on the post near Peter Pan is menaced from all angles by hungry Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-Backs.


The Kuwaiti embassy was busy with House Martins visiting their nests in the stucco roses.


The white-faced Blackbird near the Italian Garden hasn't been seen for a while. She has a mate and I hoped she was nesting, but today she turned up alone.

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