Tuesday 13 August 2019

The two larger young Great Crested Grebes on the Serpentine were being fed by their father, who was fairly hoovering up fish for them.


Both chicks were fed within one minute.


The young grebes have now grown almost to adult size, but still have striped heads, and have a most graceful and elegant appearance when they are not racing frantically to be fed.


A new brood of Moorhens has emerged from an unseen nest near the bridge.


A chick in the Italian Garden stepped over a water lily leaf ...


... while its parents affectionately ate each other's fleas.


The Tufted Duck on the Long Water is now down to five ducklings ...


... but the lone duckling on the Serpentine battles on ...


... and there have been no further casualties among the three Mallard families. This is the one on the Serpentine with three ducklings.


The Grey Heron that lives in the Dell stood on the balustrade of the fake bridge on the dam at the east end of the lake. It is odd that this bird, which is only just over a year old, should command a larger territory than any of the other herons in the park.


Two fine pictures from Ahmet Amerikali: a Blackbird sunbathing ...


... and a young Blackcap beside the Long Water.


A Robin near the bridge has started coming down to people's hands to be fed. It's a bit tatty after the breeding season, but will soon recover its good looks.


On a branch above it a Wood Pigeon had eaten almost every elderberry it could reach.


In the wildflower patch behind the Lido, a Small White butterfly drank nectar from a red flower.


A Common Darter dragonfly perched on an iris leaf in the Italian Garden.


I spent some time trying to photograph hoverflies in flight. It's quite difficult and I haven't got a better picture than this. It's clear that an exposure of 1/2000 second is not quick enough to catch their whirring wings.

4 comments:

  1. An ugly or graceless Grebe is a metaphysical impossibility. The universe would collapse on itself, were such a thing to happen.

    I don't know if the wood pigeon is feeling cheeky or embarrased by its gluttony.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No more berries, but too full to fly. Enough to make anyone cross.

      Delete
  2. Some lovely photos as usual Ralph. You did well with the hoverfly which in this case is the species often called the Marmalade Fly, Episyrphus balteatus. Though a resident species it also occurs as a migrant + a few weeks ago it was obvious there was a big influx of this species + also Eupeodes luniger.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There was a surprising number of these flies under an evergreen oak in the Rose Garden, so evidently migrants. I have seen it in the park before, but not in a mob.

      Delete