Sunday 9 October 2016

There are now two young Great Crested Grebes on the Round Pond. The one on the right is clearly older than the other, and has almost lost its juvenile stripes. It's probably the chick that was hatched on the island in May, well ahead of the others.


The area around the lake was chaotic, as a half marathon race was going on, but Blondie the Egyptian Goose was unconcerned and having a vigorous wash ...


... and one of the young Mute Swans was preening its wing.


There were a lot of Cormorants on the Long Water. These are on the fallen horse chestnut tree, which is now disintegrating  but still provides some good perches.


The young Grey Heron at the restaurant posed on the roof against a background of autumn foliage before it came down to beg for food on the terrace.


There were a lot of people and many of them were feeding it. No wonder it hangs around here.

The Starlings at the Lido restuarant have cosmopolitan tastes. A few days ago I photographed one eating lasagne, and here is one collecting a bit of prosciutto.


The Rose-Ringed Parakeets in Kensington Gardens were doing well with the Sunday visitors, but some preferred the beans on the catalpa trees near the Italian Garden. They rip the pods apart to get out the seeds. The ground underneath was littered with debris.


In the scrub on the other side of the Italian Garden, a Wren was climbing a stem.


A rose in the Rose Garden provided a perch for a Blue Tit. They do a useful job keeping down the aphids.


The Nuthatches in the leaf yard made an appearance.


It took three visits to find a Little Owl in the chestnut tree. This is the female, who was perched near the top of the tree ...


... while a Jackdaw on a lower branch looked up at her warily.


Des McKenzie reports hearing a Ring Ouzel calling in Hyde Park early this morning, just across the West Carriage Drive from Buck Hill. There's a possibility it might come into the rowan trees.

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