I had heard him calling a couple of days ago. Is he trying to call owlets out of the nest? One would suppose they were reluctant to emerge, as they have been warm and comfortable and well fed on mice brought by their father. When they come out they sit in a huddle, because they have spent the last month close together.
Nearly all the young Herring Gulls have moved on to the Long Water, where there were about 50 large gulls with just the occasional adult or Lesser Black-Backed Gull. It is unusual to see Herring Gulls occupying almost all the posts offshore from Peter Pan.
Some people were feeding the ducks but, perhaps surprisingly, the gulls didn't come over the snatch the food. Whatever they are eating, it seems to be more interesting than bread.
Just offshore from Peter Pan, a Grey Heron caught a roach, surprising the visitors, some of whom think that thse immobile birds are plastic ornaments.
There was also a group of male Mandarins, hanging about idly while their mates are sitting on eggs in tree holes on the other side of the lake.
If the big gulls stay on the Long Water, it's very bad news for the ducklings. In recent years a few young Mandarins and Red Crested Pochards have managed to survive to adulthood. The Mallards always get some through, but they are numerous and rely on quantity of ducklings rather than on quality of parental care.
On the other side of the lake there only were a few rabbits. After I saw 20 under the Henry Moore sculpture yesterday the grass has been mown, which has temporarily frightened them off. But this young rabbit is not alarmed by an enormous Canada Goose shaking its wings.
A Moorhen was climbing all over the net over the replanted reed bed near the Lido.
It was pecking the strands as it it was finding food there. Maybe some of the numerous little gnat-like insects had settled on it, though I would not have expected the bird to have been able to catch them, as Moorhens are long-sighted and have poor near vision.
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