Saturday 1 October 2016

The young Grey Heron at the Dell restaurant has now completely got over its fear of humans after it was netted to remove the tangled nylon mesh from its bill. It was wandering around on the grass trying to get people to feed it.


A Carrion Crow on the handrail of the Lido swimming area was also hoping for food. Two of them follow me along the south shore of the Serpentine and make their wishes very clear.


A Robin perched on a reedmace head at the Italian Garden was also expecting to be fed, and came to my hand three times.


The Starlings at the Lido restaurant just help themselves. Chocolate cake crumbs are a favourite.


Some Egyptian Geese on the Serpentine saw someone feeding the waterfowl and hurried over to share the treat.


A Great Crested Grebe chick on the Long Water got yet another perch from its devoted parent.


Moorhens often climb on the fountains in the Italian Garden, not caring that they get drenched. The attraction seems to be insects in the dense mat of algae that covers the fountains.


You wouldn't guess that these fountains are made of white marble.

I got a challenging stare from a Black-Headed Gull which didn't like being photographed but was not going to leave its prized perch on a noticeboard.


They are not daunted by the plastic owls at Bluebird Boats either. The owls are ritually waved around before being attached to the pedalos. It is doubtful that this makes them any more frightening.


The Little Owl near the Albert Memorial was on the branch where I saw her yesterday. She was calling loudly, and there was a distant answer from her mate on the other side of the path.


The Little Owl in the chestnut tree near the leaf yard was also the female of the pair.


A cranefly posed elegantly near the Queen's Temple.


The background is a sheet of PVC covering one of the padded blocks that are part of Nlé's summer pavilion. This is a deconstructed echo of the temple behind it, and has proved the most popular of the five pavilions put up this year. It provides both shelter and modest comfort, and there are usually several people sitting here.

A young Chicken of the Woods fungus made a splash of colour on a tree near Peter Pan.

2 comments:

  1. Great news about our Heron! (I say 'our' because there is a little bit of all of us in it, if only because our collective hearts were with the bird during its ordeal). Perhaps it'll show its chicks if it gets around to it that some humans are not to be feared after all.

    That is a wonderful picture of the irrepressible Gull being its impudent self.

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    1. Black-Headed Gulls have rather beautiful dark eyes that give them a kind look. This is an illusion.

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