Tuesday 2 May 2017

The Great Crested Grebes on the island do indeed have chicks, two of them. The kind people at Bluebird Boats let us have a pedalo free for a few minutes, and we went out to photograph them. Here their mother brings them a fish which is too large to swallow. It's a shame that Great Crested Grebes don't have the trick that Little Grebes do, of shaking a fish violently until it comes to pieces.


In the end the mother ate the fish herself and went off to catch a smaller one.

One of the chicks tumbled off its father's back into the water, but soon climbed up again. Newly hatched grebe chicks can't stand up, and crawl using their wings as front legs.


One of the Coots nesting on the buoys at the Lido brought a piece of a large leaf to the nest. This had been hacked out by the male Mute Swan at the other end of the Lido for his mate's nest, but he dropped some on the way.


The Coots' nest on the post at Peter Pan won't hatch for some time. The hungry Herring Gulls will have to be patient.


The incompetent Egyptian Geese on the Long Water have now lost their last gosling, as usual, and were perched on the posts at Peter Pan looking rather foolish.


But Blondie's family on the Serpentine are doing well and growing fast.


The young Grey Herons on the island are now all climbing around in their tree.


The Grey Wagtails were hunting at the Lido. One paused on a buoy to have a scratch.


One of the pair of Mistle Thrushes nesting east of the Dell was turning over clumps of mown grass, looking for insects.


The white-faced Blackbird came out for her daily treat of sultanas.


There are two young Blackbirds on the grass under the Henry Moore sculpture. They are already quite independent and looking for food by themselves.


A Carrion Crow was bathing in the little pool at the top of the Dell waterfall.


On the fallen horse chestnut tree in the Long Water, a Wood Pigeon stared at three terrapins.


The Little Owl at the leaf yard came out on his favourite branch.

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